Ian Abramson's Oracle User Community Blog

Entering 2012 With Promise and Concern

2012-01-09T07:12:00.001-08:00

The new year has brought with it another year of change and evolution. The economies of the world are changing and making all of us make important decision on where we are going and how best to get there.

The economic crisis in Europe and the rest of the World keeps us on the edge of uncertainty. We are living today in a World with many questions and in many ways a lack of direction. The big concern becomes; where do we go from here. What is the next big thing? And how can we as a civilization contribute to a better overall community.

Well, I can’t solve the World’s issues in this blog, but at least we can look at how technology can help in the coming year and what we should expect based how technology is driving employment and the change to our working environment.

I read an article recently about the 5 Hardest Jobs to Fill in 2012 and what I discovered was that most of them are related to technology and ones knowledge of how to use the technology which is available. The list includes:

Software Engineers and Web Developers
Creative Design and User Experience
Marketing
Product Management
Analytics

All of these jobs show us what is hot. These jobs need people who are well versed in technology and the technology underlying these jobs is hot as well. Consider when we discuss Marketing and Analytic jobs, they both need people who can look at data and analyze it to draw out competitive differentiators. In the area of systems development we see the rise of the Mobile App, and understand that there is a shortage in this latest development technology. If you have tried to find an HTML5 developer you are well aware that they are few and far between.

Technology today is driving these needs. The database appliance as well as Big Data technology is making it easier for companies to collate there data into information repositories which provide significant value. Data is being delivered to users in effective and intuitive ways which enable the organization to achieve growth in these uncertain times. The mobile device is changing the way we interact with information and making it more readily available when and where people want it. Times are changing and technology is the driver for our future. So take the time to see what is happening today and envision where you and your organization will take it in the coming years in order to survive and thrive.

Big Day for Big Data at Oracle OpenWorld

2011-10-04T09:34:00.001-07:00

When you come to Oracle OpenWorld you realize that the world is changing. I find that when Oracle embraces a technology they may not be first but they are there when it counts and that is true for Big Data and the Oracle ecosystem.

The Big Data is big news and Oracle has shown it’s ready to take on the challenge. Monday, Andy Mendelsohn, SVP Database Server Technologies, spoke to us about Oracle’s Big Data Strategy.

He discussed what Big Data is and how it is used. The explosion of information today is resulting in major changes to technology. We need to understand NoSQL databases, we need to embrace Hadoop and we need to change the way we think to find the information nuggets which will support business advancement.

So what has Oracle done…. let me count the ways

The Bog Data Appliance
The Oracle NoSQL database
The Oracle Loader for Hadoop
Oracle Data Integrator for Big Data
R Enterprise

This is significant for us in the data-space, the time for Big Data may be now or soon. It shows me that the technology has been validated and it is time to start looking into this. This is very exciting technology and considering the mass of information we are collecting it will be important for us to use this data to achieve a competitive advantage.

Next April 2012 at COLLABORATE12, I will be running a bootcamp on Big Data, and it will be the first place that real-world experiences in Big Data will be shown.

These are Big times for Big Data!

If Someone Says “I Think”; Tell Them to Prove It! – IOUG Real World Performance: A Review

2011-09-12T08:38:00.001-07:00

Seems like an odd statement. We always hear people say “I think…” and then they go on to tell you what they have hypothesized. Now you wonder is this story factual? Does it REALLY work? It is then time that you need to ask them to prove it. We don’t often challenge our peers to “Prove It”. We accept thoughts and then experiment on our own to see if this thought proves to be correct.

This past Friday I had the chance to attend the IOUG’s Real World Performance seminar which was held in Toronto. It was at this seminar led by 3 of most knowledgeable Oracle people in the world, where the proof showed us how to change the way we think. As they say there is no reason for things to run slowly today, but that instead that people have made the choice to run this way and not take advantage of new technology and new methods.

Andrew Holdworth, Tom Kyte and Graham Wood, led this amazing day of proof. The image below is a picture from my chair… of the 3 of them up front in the room(as they were all day)

It was a day where the 3 Oracle database performance gurus showed us a new way to look at performance. They discussed data warehouses and operational systems. So what were some of teh highlights:

Showed today’s data warehouses have undersized CPU’s and insufficient I/O
Improve data loading, as data size will continue to expand
Stop using SQL*Loader, it’s time has passed. Consider external tables
Read compressed data if possible
Statistics are critical to success
Make sure cardinality is accurate in table statistics
Use SQL*Monitor to investigate performance of SQL
Manage your database and system resources. Use Instance Caging if needed
Used set-based operations as often as possible
Check your SQL statements for issues

The biggest thing takeaways I came away with is that today we should try to achieve full CPU utilization, we should optimize how we transfer data into a data warehouse, we need to make sure our SQL statements work as expected and that indexes and partitions can be your friends and your enemies.

It is amazing to me to see how we things have changed over time. Today we need to manage our data better, our databases more effectively and the improve the process of loading and retrieval. The tools are there for you, we just need to use them. As Tom Kyte said, “Why would people choose to run their database slowly?”

There are more of the IOUG Real World Performance being held this year. If you get the chance to attend, you should; as it can change your life or at least the life of your database.

What do Data People do?

2011-08-30T09:05:00.001-07:00

I find it an interesting time in the days of data. I see how companies are changing and how they are embracing the data revolution and some others are not. What I do see is that there is a thirst for data and for the consumption of data in a meaningful way.

The terminology we use is changing along with the technology we use. Last week someone asked me what I did. I said I was a data architect; this was caught with a blank stare. So I then change my tact and tell people if do “Business Reporting and Analytics”. This they seem to understand.. at least the reporting part. For most people analytics is some form of math which they may be learned in a Statistics class, but didn’t really understand how it worked. The key was they passed the test. For most they consider it something they heard about in the news.

So it got me thinking, what am I? What is my job? I think there are numerous terms that might describe what I data people do today or maybe we just want to make the job of pushing numbers all day sound sexy. Here’s what I and other have come up with:

Data Warehouse Architect
Data Guru
Information Technician
Data Scientist
Data Analyst
Analytics Geek
Information Shark
Information Jockey

The ideas are endless just like the information we use. As the non-data people begin to see the power of data as information becomes served up to the everyday person, I will need to explain what I do. No title will summarize it well. Basically I tell people I collect data and draw nice pictures with the data and that always seems to make people happy, which is a good thing.

Don`t forget to join me at Oracle OpenWorld in October for my presentation about Big Data and the challenges and outlook.

2011 IOUG/Oracle Real World Performance Tour in Toronto – Not Your Regular Seminar

2011-08-09T13:17:00.001-07:00

There are some training events people should make every effort to attend because they are valuable and unique. This upcoming Toronto seminar is one of those occasions where you need to find some time. I hope many of you can join me at the upcoming IOUG Real World Performance Tour as it arrives in Toronto on September 9th, 2011.

Tickets are on sale now for 2011 the Toronto stop of the Oracle Real World Performance Tour – featuring Tom Kyte, author of the famed AskTom blog; Andrew Holdsworth, head of Oracle's Real World Performance Team; and Graham Wood, legendary Oracle Database performance architect.

Buy Tickets:

Friday, Sept 9 - Toronto

Radisson Toronto East

BUY TICKETS

Sound like an ordinary workshop? Think again.

This interactive performance engineering event features the rivaling perspectives of three Oracle rock stars and dueling screen projector presentations for a fun and different educational experience. Get a sneak peek by checking out the video from the first leg of the tour.

Past participants have praised the Real World Performance Tour for:

“Insight into how we handle different systems” Arizona fan review

“Got some ideas how to improve performance even without upgrading to 11 g” L.A. fan review

“Tuning nowadays vs. two versions ago; very reasonable price” L.A. fan review

Oracle Real World Performance Tour

Jam Sessions | 9 – 5 p.m. | $175 IOUG Members | $225 Non-Members

Discounted rates for COLLABORATE 11 attendees
All IOUG COLLABORATE 11 attendee will receive discounted access to these world-class experts - enter the code you received via separate email to get the special rate of $150 USD!

Discounted Group registration for 3+ Attendees
Register at least 3 days prior to the event (no onsite bookings)
www.ioug.org/rocks

Big Data is Curious

2011-08-05T07:44:00.001-07:00

I was watching a TV show about Studs Terkel, a man who wrote about American life. His story is an interesting one. One statement I heard on the show was:

“Not everyone has a depth of curiosity.
And not everyone has depth of understanding”

I found this a interesting comment and one that I relate to in my everyday world. It is so true that data is expanding faster than our ability to analyze it. This is where Big Data comes in and together with an Agile approach to development can form and important part of a data solution. The ability to collect more structured and unstructured data gives us the ability to feed our curiosity. It is imperative that today’s analysts have the same curiosity as the ancient explorers. Curiosity is opportunity to learn; to discover, this is where real innovation happens. We must use Big Data to gather information to feed the need for understanding. We need to find meaning in this information and exploring it in a dynamic way can support this need. So we look to Big Data to provide this sandbox of data for analysis and knowledge.

There are concerns with Big Data which we also need to address. Security is one of the biggest concerns for most organization. So now we need to look at Big Data and how it is deployed. Often we look to create Clouds of data, but is this data secure? Is this data protected? The danger with collecting more information is how and what to protect? This is a new challenge and if we are to succeed in getting data more accessible and more useable we also need to ensure it is protected. We are seeing that as big data matures and Hadoop continues to become mainstream, we are seeing products needed to support these requirements.

So as the technology advances and our curiosity grows we will be able to create solutions which will provide a robust ability for analysts to gain business understandings.

Is Social Networking Becoming More or Less Social?

2011-07-19T16:01:00.001-07:00

In the past few weeks it seems like the concept of social networking and social interactions has been changed. Google+ was recently launched and it has enhanced the social experience which was championed by Facebook. What is the major difference between the two? From my first impressions it is how we group our interactions or friends. Google+ provides one with the ability to group people into your personal groups or as they call them Circles like family, work, hockey buddies or any other group you can come up with. This allows for you to better focus your communications and share what is appropriate with the right friends.

As we know today when we comment on someone’s picture it may be possible for your own friends to access this image. The problem may be that the image of you drinking with your buddies may be very appropriate to share with your close friends, but not so for your business acquaintances. It appears that the paradigm of a friend is changing. The friends we have become influencers in the decisions we all make. When I go out to eat I check the web for recommendations and reviews. When I travel I check out hotels and airfares similarly, but when it comes to a final decision I look to my close friends. So now consider our use of social networking tools. We use Twitter, Facebook and now Google+ to communicate our pleasure and dissatisfaction, I even had a call directly from Dell when I experienced problems with customer service and tweeted about my misadventure. Finally I got action. In reality most people are unable to consume or interact with all of our friends and true communication happens in a much more focused manner.

In an presentation on social networking, the presenter states that on average we have 130 friends on Facebook. However we really only interact actively with 4 to 6 on a regular basis. This is true for all of interactions; consider you make 80% of phone calls to only 4 people and we Skype with 2 people 80% of the time. It is accepted that people generally have a strong influence on very few people, but their influence in decisions is staggering. So this is the concept which Google+ takes direct aim at. It looks to organize your life and “friends” into appropriate groups so that you can eliminate the chatter and allow for more focus. Google+ plus is not a revolution in social networking merely an evolution in much the same way as we live our lives in small, trusted groups of friends.

Bringing Big Data at Oracle OpenWorld

2011-07-05T07:30:00.001-07:00

This week I learned that my seminar “Big Data: Are You Ready?” has been accepted for Oracle OpenWorld. This is always exciting for me, as it is the largest event of the Oracle Fall season. I will be presenting in the user group track as part of the IOUG data warehousing track. I hope to see many of you in San Fran between October 2nd and 6th. Below is my session listing from the Content Catalogue:

So this leads me to my thought today of Big Data and what is it all about. Today at Thoughtcorp we are building a lab which is all about Big Data. We are preparing an environment using Hadoop on a couple of servers which allow us to experiment with the product and the tools to see what works best and what does not. We are well along this path and we are looking at MapReduce for data access and how to best clone our VM to create deployable clones. All the fun technical stuff that I will discuss as we move through the process.

So the question we now sit around and ask ourselves is what are we going to use it for? What will our client need with Big Data? If I was working at Google or Yahoo, the question could be answered quickly. The vast amounts of data collected by these two companies is the reason we are discussing this technology. So we see the need that telecomm would have for this technology. Today’s telecomm companies are usually multiple lines of business with loosely related products. These products generally generate vast amounts of data, consider your smartphone or digital TV box. Consider analyzing each press of a button on your TV remote and the cable company analyzing the patterns of viewership via clicks. This information could be fed to networks to optimize the patterns in which television is offered based on the vary granular data. Television of tomorrow may be presented differently if companies better understand how viewers are really experiencing TV. This is not your parents Neilson Rating; this is something new. The digital set-top box is a Big Data candidate. So we look around at our customers and we are starting to help them understand how the collection of vast amounts of data can form a foundation for analysis.

In our world which generates more data than ever before, we need to find a way to use this information to allow businesses to optimize their services and customers optimize their experience. It will be one thing to collect the data, but how will it be used?

Data Security Do Companies Still Not Get It?>

2011-06-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

The story today about the CitiGroup data breach just makes me wonder what companies are thinking?

I believe they understand the importance of security, but what are they doing about it. The tools to support what you need to do to secure your information are available. Security requires two things: focus and investment. You must focus your business on the requirement for security. Build the secure processes and enforce them. As Gene Kranz once said "Failure is not an option." People must be dedicated to an overall sense of information security.

The IOUG is currently running a security survey, what do you think?

Data is a corporate asset. It also contains sensitive personal information about customers, vendors, staff and corporate intelligence and we must make the investment. As a person who works with this type of information on a daily basis I never underestimate data security, but often companies do. They often secure externally facing data, but forget other points of access and ultimately face a breach. And what becomes of this data is the real fear. In the information age.... data is king. Time to roll out a security detail.

Data comes in many different forms and it is necessary to protect it throughout its lifecycle. You don't want to be the next headline in the USAToday

The State of the Oracle User

2011-04-17T11:59:00.001-07:00

I have just returned from COLLABORATE 11, the Oracle user conference, and I have a lot of stories to tell. It was at THE event where the technology user group(IOUG), along with Quest and OAUG got together to share experiences with Oracle and Oracle-based technologies. I always believe if you are into Oracle technology there is no event like this one anywhere else in North America. This is where Oracle and users truly collaborate to educate the community.

The conference started in an inspirational manner, as Dan Thurmon, the author of Off Balance on Purpose spoke. He talked about how once we master something, we must challenge ourselves to change and get even better. Check out this video of Dan to see what he is about. It makes you realize that in today’s ever changing technology world.

This conference proved this to me. I even had a theme song playing in my head…. “The Times They Are A-Changin’”, in 1963 Bob Dylan seemed so insightful and this week was that very same to me. So on the week when I celebrated the same birthday as the song, I came the same realization. What is changing is how Oracle is delivering solutions. It showed that there are disruptive technologies which are ready for primetime.

I see two technologies which as Enterprise Data Architects we need to consider. First is Exadata and appliance solutions. And for me the second is Open-Source technology like MySQL. With Exadata, Oracle has brought together the best of Oracle database technology with Sun hardware to optimize data access. It’s not perfect, but it is coming and the wave is beginning. Larry Ellison just told us, that there is $2 Billion worth of Exadata orders in the pipeline. The secret sauce are the optimized disks and data retrieval. It was interesting to Ask Tom Kyte (at an IOUG lunch with Tom event), how he saw the Exadata technology is changing how we do our database deployments. He says its not quite as easy as the marketing team would like people to believe, but he did say that this machine in the right hands can achieve significant benefits. I also attended a presentation where someone basically used the Exadata very much like a traditional Oracle RAC implementation. So I begin to believe that the “Art of Exadata” will be the secret sauce. It will include people who understand architecture, database design, database deployments, SQL optimization and a little bit about hardware. Exadata’s time seems to have arrived

The other is open-source. Products like Java and MySQL are both open-source products which are now becomes part of the our corporate fabric. I am beginning to see much of the same needs we had 20 years ago when Oracle was doing the same thing for databases. The same management concerns need to be addressed to optimize the use of MySQL. Discussions on backups, optimization, replication and high-availability have become pressing concerns people need to address.

Of course the real value that I get from events like COLLABORATE 11, are the networking opportunities. I get a chance to meet and discuss interesting subjects with many people; each who add to much knowledge base. I get to know and understand how Oracle plans to move forward. One such example is Willie Hardie, the VP of Database Product Marketing and a great supporter of the IOUG, and who won the IOUG Ken Jacobs award recognizing the person at Oracle who has helped the user community in numerous ways. Here he is with IOUG President Andy Flower receiving his award:

We also had a chance to network in the World of Harry Potter and here I am getting on-board for the chance to share some fun with the user group.

And thanks to my friends at The Quest user group, who focus on PeopleSoft and JD Edwards who brought in Jim Lovell and Fred Haise from Apollo 13 frame to recount the experience from that flight, which blasted off in 1970 on my birthday, before encountering their infamous issues. Here they are today as they spoke during the event.

If you have never been to an event like this; it should be time to consider it. There is nothing like it. I made new friends and helped people who were attending for the first time feel welcome. It really is a community experience and one that Facebook or LinkedIn can not replicate. Plan to be at COLLABORATE 12 in Las Vegas, April 22, 2012, and get on the Hogwarts Express; it’s time.

Baseball and BI

2011-04-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

The Major League baseball season started last weekend and the teams that should be winning are panicking (consider an 0-5 start for the Red Sox), while others are looking at what might happen after a quick start. The length of the baseball schedule, tends to be a big equalizer and as the Summer progresses into the Fall, the cream of the crop tends to come up to the top. So although the Toronto Blue Jays have started 4-1 and look to have some real pitching this year; I am not ready to get overly excited… it’s early. After all there are 157 games left. The playoff race is months away, but yet we get excited none the less. It is baseball season.

It is also the time when one of the most analyzed sports is changing the way they do business. I think I mentioned in the past that baseball is a sport that collects more information, which is at a very granular level, compared to other sports. It provides so much data that the science of sport not longer refers only to medicine but to data as well. Data may even be more important than ever in baseball and growing in all sports. Today, when someone \wants to sign a free agent or trade for a veteran or prospect player; the first thing a team will look at is their data. Men like Bill James and Ari Kaplan have made analytics part of the game but also part of the business. By tracking how a player reacts to situations you can now extrapolate how they will fit into your type of offense and see in advance the benefit they will give to the team. The concept of “gut-free” still exists in baseball but data is quickly replacing it as part of multi-million dollar decisions.

So as we start the season we will be able to see if Mariano Rivera can continue to deliver heat in the strike zone, or the edge of the strike zone. We will that Derek Jeter likes to hit fastballs, but hits sliders even more effectively, all of this will be tracked. We all need to find the edge. Businesses have understood the value of data, but today sports are embracing them and changing the way they make game and player decisions….it’s all in the stats.

Play Ball! Or Run the Report!

Go Expos!

Thoughtcorp or is it The Addams Family

2011-04-02T18:24:00.001-07:00

This week one of my favourite people and client sent out an email about the people that work at Thoughtcorp and how we look like the Adams Family…. Now being someone who is being compared to Uncle Fester, I still think it is so funny. So let me introduce you to some of the Thoughtcorp Addams family. Thanks to John H for this fantastic comparison to the famous family.
First is me, Ian Abramson, as Uncle fester.

And next up is our Co-CEO David Bercovitch or should I say Lurch, or at least a shorter version of him.

And then is Val Hedow, of Director of HR, or as some will now refer to as Morticia…. It’s almost uncanny.

And of course, Gino Marckx, of Agile Practice Director, when it comes to Agile he is second to none, but amazing I think he will be known as Gomez Adams.

Finally the Dino Chronopoulos, the head of the Finance group at Thoughtcorp, seems to look a lot like Pugsley….interesting.

I love and To put a real spin on this. There are places where you have a chance to work where you can build or do great things, but you always have to remember to have some fun at work and let it loose. Thanks John for helping me understand that I now for the Addam’s Family.

Open Season on the Database

2011-03-24T07:15:00.001-07:00

For years we have contemplated open-source databases and how they fit into our overall database technology strategy. The complexity of what is the right choice for an organization has many answers. It is no longer a simple question of choosing between Oracle or Microsoft or even IBM; no it’s a choice that needs to include MySQL (unless that counts as Oracle?), Postgres, or now Hadoop and Cassandra. The choices are as complex as the systems we need to support. From my perspective it is now open-season on the database. The choice is no longer straightforward.

The emergence of “The Cloud” and the need to distribute more data more effectively has added new pressures. The need to analyze massive amounts of data more efficiently is a must-have. We look to the Oracle’s of the world they respond with a system that is scalable, efficient and leverages the power of Oracle to enable the business. The Oracle database on an Exadata server is a solid enterprise-grade solution that will support this need. It is robust and powerful, but it is costly. So organizations who need to similar functionality but want to do it using open-source technology or some lower cost-model of software now also have options. At Thoughtcorp we are leading providers in many areas of technologies and our team has varied knowledge and much of it focused on today’s latest technologies including wireless, apps and of course using open-source technologies to achieve their goals. The data group has seen this shift as well and now I am working on how products like Hadoop, which can be used for massive data analysis. It is like Google file system (GFS) and allows for the collection and analysis of data. From Hadoop other solutions have emerged. Hive provides a easy to use tool to work with Hadoop to simplify analysis. Now Hadoop has been combined Cassandra and open-source database from Facebook. What does this give us? A real-time database with big data capabilities. Wow…that’s a mouthful.

Of course these open solutions come today with some operational risks due to single possible points of failure. of course if you can manage the risk. You may have an alternative to today’s enterprise databases. These new data options provide us more with choice and options and in a world where you consider…. If it’s good enough for Facebook and Google, is it something I should consider?

Building Data Warehouses for the Masses

2011-03-08T07:30:00.001-08:00

Often data warehouse designers and architects are often accused of building systems which do not always serve the enterprise but only focused portions of the organization. I have seen this occur at numerous clients who did not invest in a long-term vision and long-term data strategy.

So how do we avoid this trap and ensure that we produce a system which does not go “silo” but sets a course to meet current and future needs at the enterprise level and not departmentally. I was recently working on a presentation about data warehousing design and the question of Ralph Kimball (Dimensional) versus Bill Inmon’s (Normalized) design approach of which is better. The question is that both work, if you keep to the big picture. Design your high-level design upfront and adhere to design and development standards, It is about setting a clear course for DW design and never allowing for an independent or silo’ed solution to be developed. The key is to always look for integration opportunities. Add to your core data warehouse; don’t built a new structure which is not tied in and used conformed dimensions.

Bill Inmon, said in referring to Dimensional modeling that “A 1000 minnows do not make a whale”. Build with a great purpose in mind that you are building an integrated, stable data repository to support business reporting and analytics.

Data Warehousing and the DW Appliance

2011-02-16T11:44:00.001-08:00

Today I attended a seminar presented by Oracle about the Exadata database machine. As usual it was presented as a compelling argument that a complete solution like a data warehouse appliance is one that ultimately reduces complexity and increases capacity.

During the session today, they quoted a study from TDWI which says that within 3 years 78% of respondents expect to be using a data warehouse appliance. I find this a staggering figure. Consider that today DW appliances have evolved and each of the major database vendors have their own flavour, but we still continue to see that traditional databases significantly outnumber appliances. I do admit that the argument for an appliance is one that needs to be considered. The idea that a single server or linked servers can come into a data centre and within days can be productive is incredible. The bigger question becomes which appliance do I choose? Do I buy Exadata, Teradata, Data Allegro, or Netezza? I guess that answer depends on what you want to achieve and the basic knowledge and comfort level you have with each vendor.

I find that the real differentiator is the functionality available within the appliance. As you might know Netezza uses Postgres as it’s base database. Although a great database, it is provided within only the basic SQL set of commands. To extend it out, you need to buy additional options and features. Then you look at a database like Oracle’s which has 30 years of development in it and now we are presented with a database that supports very advanced SQL. Oracle has provided an appliance that runs the database. It has not created a database which happens to run on an appliance. I often wonder how many people are aware of the advanced functions and analytics available in the Oracle database. The database has a significant number of statistical functions from the simple to the esoteric. The database contains a number of data mining functions as well. Although Oracle sells a great front-end tool in Oracle Data Mining (ODM), the functions which the tools use are available to all database users. So when you start to look at what appliance, you need to look at more than simple administration and technology, but at capability. The appliance who can do the most without any additional costs seems like a solid option. Now as to whether or not we will see a big increase in the use of appliances will depend on how well and how cost effectively these appliances can replace our current hardware platforms.

Oracle User Group Season

2011-02-11T10:29:00.001-08:00

As the winter starts to settle in and I ponder what I will be doing in the next few months I begin to plan my spring speaking season….and of course golf season.

We are a mere 2 1/2 months away from the the start of the COLLABORATE 11 conference. As well I am working with the Toronto Oracle User Group to help to put on another BI/DW day in March or April. So it’s time to get my materials together.

My session at COLLABORATE 11, is named Oracle Data Warehousing: Soup to Nuts. The focus is on providing a solid knowledge foundation in all of the areas which data warehouse architects need to be concerned with. I, along with my co-presenters Albert Hui and Jatinder Bhardwaj are planning to present details on how a data warehouse is designed and built. We will discuss how Agile development methodologies can be applied to data warehouse projects. This is something which organizations have not considered is if Agile can be applied to these projects. From the Thoughtcorp approach to Agile and warehousing has been combined and has now been shown in action to provide similar benefits to DW projects. In addition we will get technical and illustrate the features in Oracle which every data warehouse needs and when and why they should be used. This will be your toolkit for deployment. We will discuss ETL and how data should be loaded. This provides the attendee with knowledge on how you should use tools like OWB or ODI in your project. Finally we hope to touch on some of the benefits and successes of using the Exadata and how it can provide significant value in large data project.

I know it seems like a long way away, but in reality it could not be closer. So get on board. Get registered and come on out and see myself and others at COLLABORATE or at the next TOUG meeting and share your experiences along with ours.

The New Data Warehouse 2.0.11

2011-01-26T07:00:00.001-08:00

Its an interesting time for me and the rest of us at Thoughtcorp we continue to help organizations in innovative ways, using innovative techniques to deliver them. Over the past few years I have seen changes to the way systems are envisioned and how they are realized. So it also made me look at how I build data warehouse and reporting solutions today in 2011.

When I first began building reporting systems; they were not even call data warehouses yet. I build a system to do call detail analysis for a telecommunications company using SQL*Plus as its reporting tool. Today I build systems that focus on providing business value and business insights. The key to build a flexible and reliable system which provide data in an easy to consume manner. We have converted tons of paper reporting into dashboards, Key Performance Indicators, modeling and other reporting capabilities which allow business to react to change and anticipate trends. Today organizations which do not have data warehouse technology in some form will quickly become business laggards.

So what has changed is how we deliver solutions. The key for a successful data warehouse/reporting solution is that the information provided in the required format provides the necessary information to create an action which will enhance the business. So the involvement of the stakeholders and users drive much of this. Based on information required in the business processes we design the warehouse to service these needs efficiently. However, in the “old” days we would build the entire data warehouse and expect that what we built will satisfy the requirements. Today by building using Agile techniques we build in smaller self-contained development unit which address all aspects including data, loading and reporting to provide quick wins an help the people get the product in their hands to work into a better solution.Today the biggest difference is data warehouse architects do not assume the solution, but build a framework in which a system can develop to meet needs and drive innovation and change. So out with the Big Bang data warehouse and in with the Agile Data Warehouse or DW 2.0.11.

Unexpected Learning

2011-01-24T07:24:00.001-08:00

Last week I had the opportunity to take some time off and take a cruise. Considering how cold things have been around here lately it was a great time to get warm and enjoy some sun. As expected I did that, but unexpectedly I also learned some things along the way. This was a cruise with unexpected learning. And maybe I should have expected it. So what did I learn on my Winter vacation?

Well to start with my ship offered seminars on a variety of topics. One was an Improv class. Seemed like a better option than the Rumba class. So we attended and I learned lessons on working in a team, listening to your team and focusing on your task at hand and not lose that focus while others may struggle. The most important thing was to ensure the team continued to function. Through some exercises that I plan to bring back to my colleges we can bring these unexpected lessons home.

I also had the chance to meet someone in a similar field as us at Thoughtcorp, in that he did retail analysis. It was interesting to exchange stories on how we solved problems for our respective clients and how to better use retail data. Today’s challenges in retail are one that we focus on at Thoughtcorp and we really started to look at ways that retailers need to bring data together to enhance businesses.

Then I started reading a book, named “Start-up Nation” about how Israel has become a leader in innovation and technology. It is an interesting lesson on how the ability to be innovative and creative and not to take no for an answer when all around say you are bound to fail. I read about a company that approached PayPal about a new concept to capture fraud. The concept was that by separating people into good and bad people you can detect fraud. Good people leave a trail on the Internet; bad people don’t. Somehow a small Israeli company was able to deliver more accurate results in a exponentially short time frame compared to PayPal’s own analysts. It was impressive and was based upon the way that governments find terrorists. This was an approach that PayPal recognized as revolutionary. The stories continue and the lessons one can learn from a book like this can be translated to everyday business.

A great time on a great ship and met some great people who helped me make some unexpected discoveries.

BTW….the picture above is our ship the Celebrity Eclipse parked next the HMS Bounty….imagine the difference in technology of these two ships….hmmmm.

New Year and New Challenges

2011-01-08T13:17:00.001-08:00

As we begin a new year I start looking back and looking forward. How did I and how did the industry change in the past year and what should I now expect in the new year? In the past year at Thoughtcorp I look back at the solutions we created and how we are creating solutions 12 months later. I see a change coming and I look forward to what it will bring.

What I discuss is how we deliver business reporting and analytical solutions. At a basic level what organizations need today is no different than what they have always needed. Organizations need access to information on a timely basis to provide insightful information which can better enable the business to react to changing conditions. The new year also brings an approach which we have been developing over the past year around using Agile development methods in a data warehouse project. The key is that by going Agile, that your project will deliver in an expected manner with the business highly involved in the resulting solution. We have seen how information can transform a business. Agile has often been discussed in the context of BI, bur has rarely been used for an Enterprise data warehouse project. At Thoughtcorp we are now doing just that and have already seen the success and efficiencies it can bring to delivering project on time and more importantly meeting insightful business requirements.

So today I start to see that shift of using the Agile manifesto as a base for all data projects. As for reporting we start seeing organizations that previously had little integrated reporting can now start to mature and move ahead of basic reporting and truly embrace business reporting.

What is Takes to Succeed?

2010-11-18T07:40:00.001-08:00

This morning I was driving to work and listening to my usual morning radio. I admit it I listen to Howard Stern on Sirius. It is some of the most interesting and humorous radio I ever listen to. This morning he had the second half of the Staff IQ Test. The last one ended with his engineer having a 121, and today more of the staff was tested. A score of 120 or higher is considered highly intelligent. But of course in the nature of the show it was as much a competition for bragging rights. Today it came down to two staffers, John and Will, with Will winning with a 130, considered among the top 2% of of the population. It was hilarious as Howard lost all is bets as he misevaluated everyone’s IQ and it made me wonder about what makes people successful. Is it IQ? Is it experience? Is it knowledge? Is it personality? Of course its a combination of all of these.

People think that it is merely the intelligence and knowledge that one has that drives success. Or could it be someone taking the initiative to create an idea that changes things. So do we acquire this drive from nurture or nature? When I consider people to work at Thoughtcorp, I look at what they know, but really I consider how they think. How do they answer questions? What is the though process behind solving problems. I obviously consider technical savvy, but tools and techniques cannot. So we must have that basic ability to communicate. To speak our thoughts clearly and concisely. That is the key to succeed. The intelligence we have is shown through our ability to communicate it to others. So what we learn you should share and what others share with you make you more successful. So more than simply IQ, intelligence and success come through our ability to show how we understand the world.

If you think you have this type of intelligence and want to work in that type of environment then check out some hot jobs currently open at Thoughtcorp (Click Here for Employment Opportunities).

The Oracle OpenWorld User Perspective

2010-09-30T08:39:00.001-07:00

As we return back from Oracle OpenWorld, I thought that I would blog on some my experiences and how being active in your user community can make a difference.

I find that my experience at OpenWorld is something of a special one. An experience that is based on being involved and having the goal to help others. I attend in many ways. I attend as a leader in the user group community as a Board Member of the IOUG. I am there as a writer, representing Oracle Press and my book “Oracle Database 11g Beginner’s Guide”, there as a member of the Thoughtcorp team and as an Oracle professional and ACE trying to learn what is new and how to be a better solution provider. The value that I get from all of these things is immeasurable. I am always am surprised when I have to explain the value of being involved.

At OpenWorld I had the chance to meet Ironman (if you have seen Ironman 2. you will know that Oracle was a great supporter. This is me with the suits before I had the chance to fly around in one.

I was also invited to an event where I had the chance to meet Mark Hurd, the new President of Oracle. It was a pleasure to meet him and I look forward to seeing how myself and the user group will work with this new regime. And can you find the Oracle ACE in the sculpture gallery at SFMOMA, where the event was held.

The event was a clear event where the message was that Oracle provides us with a chance to leverage all aspects of the technology stack from one place. The announcement of the ExaLogic machine was exciting as was the continued messaging around Oracle’s BI offerings. It is an exciting time to be part of the Oracle community and in the coming weeks I will continue to discuss about what I learned and some of the new technologies which will be important to us in teh coming months and years.

Standard Configurations May be Your Solution

2010-09-13T08:36:00.001-07:00

It’s really quite amazing to me how many organizations have database and or application performance issues and then spend incredible amounts of time in their diagnosis and treatment. We solve the issues in a number of ways; we improve SQL access to the database (the most common issue), we change database parameters and execution plans to improve memory and data usage during the execution of other queries and we change the database from both a design and deployment perspective. In the end most performance issues are solved but what happens to our learning's from these issues? Generally we make changes to the one database and then wait until the next performance crisis arises, so our new solution is often lost and the knowledge not shared.

So how can we fix these types of issues? How can one performance issue help the entire organization? If the organization adopts the use of standard approaches to data and databases a lot of these issues can be reduced if not eliminated. Consider a large company who has many databases, often 100’s of database instances. In this company they need a team of DBAs who are responsible for a subset of these databases but yet they have no synergy and the differences in these databases make each one a custom deployment, which requires significant involvement from the various IT teams. Consider if the organization adopts the use of standard configurations. If they decide to create databases in 3 to 5 standard configurations. They may create one for small applications, another for web deployments, another for analytic and data intensive applications and another for mission critical applications. This creates a limited number of selections, but each one is optimized for the application and allows for quick and simple deployments. It also reduces the variations which increase maintenance costs. The same can go for data models. Tables can be deployed based on standard approaches to how tables, indexes, partitions and other objects get created. By creating and defining standards, you reduce the risk while maintaining the highest quality and optimal performance. The key is that when we make one change we can easy replicate and deploy it in all environments such that the entire organization can gain the benefits.

As we come up to Oracle OpenWorld and the IOUG User forum, you will begin to see this type of message for larger organizations to provide them with the ability to deploy applications faster and maintain the infrastructure more effectively and efficiently. By simplifying the choices you can improve your ability respond to issues and ultimately reduce costs

Arming Us with Knowledge

2010-09-01T09:59:00.001-07:00

As the time for Oracle OpenWorld approaches (Sept 19 to 23rd) I started to think about knowledge and learning. This is a fundamental right and gift that I hope to have instilled in my children and what I hope we have all done for our own.

So then this morning I see a billboard that said “In the war of ideas; Are we sending out children out unarmed?”

This is a question that seemed profound to me today. We live in a world where our knowledge is one of the most important qualities we can each have. This knowledge is what makes us productive but it also makes us interesting.

So how do we address this? We send our children to schools where there are educated on the way the world works and how we can find our place in it. However is this preparing us for what we really need? Do we have the skills we really need? Are we street savvy? Today the world is a complex place. One where we must be prepared for multiple influences on our everyday lives. We need to understand the influences of activity in all corners of the Earth. We need to understand how economic factors in the Far East impact North America and vice versa as well. You need to look at the big picture to be able to take a stand on how you react to various scenarios. It is no different in the IT industry. This is a place that has so many influences that you really need to understand how each impacts an IT project. You need to be armed with knowledge.

The world today is about acquiring knowledge and using it in a way that benefits everyone around you. So it is imperative to gather knowledge and quickly turn it into value. It is never too early to start this journey, but it is one that you must start so that you can be prepared as well as creating an environment where ideas are valued.

Oracle BI 11g Launched

2010-08-17T11:09:00.001-07:00

I realize that it has already been a few weeks since Oracle officially announced the availability of the new Oracle BI 11g, but today was the launch event in the Toronto area and was it ever well attended. This is the version of a BI suite which will allow Oracle to compete in a mature market and I was not surprised to see so much interest in it from today’s capacity audience.

We have been waiting for quite a while to see the final release of the software (which is now available from Oracle) which has been much anticipated. We in the BI and data warehousing space have seen so many products over the years, such as Cognos, MicroStrategy among others, but Oracle never really had a great answer and Answers to these vendors, that is why this release is so important.

The latest incarnation of the OBIEE stack includes many new functions and features. It has a solid approach to dashboards, scorecards and reporting and provide it all from a common interface, which is a nice change. The software will still need to prove itself but at this point things look very promising. As I begin to work with the product I will be sharing my experiences. I will also be at Oracle OpenWorld in just a few weeks and I excited to see more on BI and all of the other DW technologies, and hope to meet some of you there to exchange even greater ideas.

The IOUG Leadership

2010-08-09T08:38:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I got to attend the annual IOUG Summer Board meeting. It is at these meetings where we plan the strategy for the user group in the near and long term. This meeting was no different and some great work happened. I believe that the IOUG is the place you need to be if you use Oracle technology; it is one place where you can create an life-long environment for professional and personal success. What was also important was that Andy Flower, led the group for the first time as our new incoming President. This was a role I had filled for the past two years and Andy now was filling and doing a great job. So I decided why not Blog about the IOUG Presidents that I knew and show how each one helped the user group at various times and remember those that helped build what we now enjoy in the changing user community.

If we look back the first President of the IOUG was Michael Corey, a big man, with a big voice and a personality that drew people in. He was one of the founding members of the community when Oracle did not understand how this group of independent user, customers and consultants could help make the product better, but that’s what he and the other Oracle users who put together a group which found Oracle’s ear and helped us start this road that is the user community

After the bravado of Mike Corey came the calm and diplomatic Merrilee Nohr, a true professional who brought a calmness and a direction which turned this group into a more professional organization. Merrilee struggled to build a solid relationship at a time when Oracle was starting to evolve into what it is today and in many ways Merrilee educated Oracle on the value that the community brought and how important it was for Oracle to support us.

After Merrilee I recall Rich Niemiec. There are few people like Rich, for those of you how know of him, know he is a great technical genius who taught us lots about performance and leadership. He led as any good Ex-Marine would and helped to motivation the Board and the community onto better things. As Rich once said to me “Leaders are chosen when they are needed and ready to take on the challenge,'” and Rich was there to help stabilize the IOUG during some rough times in working with Oracle.

After Rich, came Kim Floss, a customer of Oracle’s, which is always a good thing, as Oracle likes their customers and when one came to lead the user group like Kim, it was a great for our relations with Oracle as the relationship evolved.

Following Kim, was Ari Caplan. Another one of a kind leader. He brought a quiet calm and a strong leadership. He knew about a lot of cool stuff and was a business leader in the Oracle community. He also had a skill for baseball and analytics and today he works for the Chicago Cubs, maybe Larry can use him one day if he buys a team. And of course it was during his watch when we launched the first COLLABORATE conference and a new era in user group events was born.

Then came me. I am proud of what I did to help the user community and Oracle during my two year tenure. It was exciting and evolving as Oracle continued to expand while the user group continued to focus on the networking, advocacy and education. And together with the Board we all did a good job.

Which leads me to the current President. Andy Flower, who is a great, engaging and strong leader who is focused on continuing to grow the community. It will be under Andy’s leadership when we will welcome one of the newest communities to the IOUG; that of the MySQL community. After our meeting I am confident that Andy will help us move the community to a period growth while still keeping us focused on our core community.

Plus he looks a lot like Bobby Flay, so we can get good tables in restaurants and bars.

The IOUG has come a long way in the past years and will continue to evolve and change just as our great leadership has done over the years,

What it Means to be Part of a User Group?

2010-07-21T07:07:00.001-07:00

As the summer continues and I continue to struggle with a golf game that continues to elude me I start to think about the user group. The IOUG is the user group that I know the most about but it follows for any user group member of an independent user group.

The summer is the quiet time for user groups. We have finished one of the greatest Oracle user events in May, when Collaborate 10 ended and now we are interacting with our members in the virtual world. The IOUG as other Oracle groups run independently, which means we receive no funding from Oracle. They provide the user community access to the resources available at Oracle, which is a great value. We also support Oracle at their events; as we will be doing during this year on Sunday Sept 19th at Oracle OpenWorld where we will be providing a great technical program.

So at this time you should consider being part of the group and include your voice in the independent vision from your user group. It’s time to get involved and time to include yourself in some information and knowledge sharing.

Analytics In Sports

2010-06-03T08:05:00.001-07:00

Today I was reading a story about how Marian Hossa chose to play with the Chicago Black Hawks this season. He chose the team based on a statistical knowledge of what it takes to win.

">Hossa’s agent has developed a model which analyzes goals by the top 6 forwards, other measures for defensemen, and a goalie’s save percentage all add up to success. The key measure for Hossa and Winter was the fact that a team who scores 143 goals in it’s top 6 will achieve 100 points. This along with quality of management helped him make the decision and now he is appearing in the Stanley Cup final for the 3rd consecutive year.

Analytics in sports is no stranger, but it is one which has been slow on the uptake. Baseball has always been an active statistical league, but companies like Ariball (www.ariball.com) have taken the analysis of the these numbers to a new level. He helps teams and players understand their own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of their opponent to achieve maximum performance. Consider that we can easily look at where every ball hit at Yankee Stadium landed in 2009 as you see below:

Imagine what you can do with this by adding the dimensions of hitter, pitcher, pitch, count and more….lots of power.

And considering the controversy of last night’s blown call in the Detroit-Cleveland game where Armando Gallarraga lost a perfect game….was this simply a mistake or a blown call or was it official bias? If it was Roy Halladay or some other great pitcher on the mound would the call had been “right”. The statistics definitely do show this for the NBA. When a star is in foul trouble they have fouls called about 1/2 as often a non-stars. So how would things had gone last night if we were watching a future all-star?

Sports statistics are here to stay and just as they make a company more competitive it does the same for a sports team.

The Changing Face of Oracle Technology

2010-05-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

The coming year is one which will provide Oracle users and user groups with the chance to evolve and change as Oracle continues to change.

In the past year wehave seen significant changes in technology and the Oracle technology stack. The changes are comig and the evolution of Oracle as a company and as a technology is changing. We are beginning to see the changes in the latest products which are coming from Oracle.

The BEA acquisition is showing this as the latest release of WebCenter Suite has truly shown great changes whic allow it to better integrate wih Oracle and other products. The changes hae meant that the product and it's support for Web 2.0 initiatives is simple and easy to implement.

The Seibel acquistion changed Oracle in the most obvisious way by allowing Oracle to offer a world-class CRM solution. The acquisition also made some real changes to Oracle's BI offering. Oracle BI which grew out of acquired products have allowed Oracle to compete with the big boys of BI. OBIEE and especially the coming release of the prduct will provide users with a solid product which can be used to depoloy a solid BI solution. In addition Hyperion and Essbase complement this tool with robust forcasting and budgeting capabilities. The total package.

Other acquisition will change things even more, the Sun acquisition will be a game changer and one that will forever change the face of Oracle, but we will watch as the technology changes and improves our solutions and our businesses and see what change we embrace and others which fall to the side.

I also want to thank Patrick Fordham (www.torontophotographer.com/) who recently took some heads shots for Oracle magazine and which I am now using as my new profile picture. Thanks.

COLLABORATE 10: Users Rule!

2010-04-23T10:08:00.001-07:00

The COLLABORATE10 has come to close and it is time to reflect on the week that was and how the user grow has and will grow in the future.

It is great to be part of a user community where people and ideas come together to improve how we all do our jobs on a daily basis. The personal and professional learning's which we all have the opportunity to acquire during the week is so significant. The relationship we build. The elite people of our profession who educate us. The COLLABORATE event is like no other.

Our meeting in Las Vegas ended yesterday and I have had some time to reflect on it and how the IOUG has once again succeeded. For all those attended in-person and on-line the value is obvious. What is not obvious. There is a team of volunteers and staff who hard for most of the year to deliver a total program that is second to none.

The IOUG Board of Directors helps to guide the community and support a program of education 365-days-a-year, but the week of the COLLABORATE is the concentration and distillation of the entire year. The Board which includes Andy Flower, our incoming IOUG President, and Judi Doolittle, who has helped the IOUG launch or new and improved web site, Jon Wolfe, our Education director who delivered another superior educational event, Todd Sheetz, who has grown the SIGs and RUGs at a unprecedented level, Steve Lemme, who helps guide the vision for the group and adds a special perspective, John Matelski, our Director of new technologies is working to bridge Oracle and the new communities, Michelle Malcher, who has helped developed a new membership program which you will see in the coming weeks and months and of course Kent Hinkley who makes sure we are fiscally responsible. The Board together helps to steer the user community based on what we need. Of course the conference committee and all of the various volunteers and staff, made it a year to remember.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend the make sure you start planning now to be part of COLLABORATE11 in Orlando, FL on April 10-15, 2011…..if you are serious about your Oracle job then get off your chair and get ready to get to Oracle for a quantum leap in your professional development.

Great Time of Year

2010-04-06T08:53:00.001-07:00

This time of year is always a special one in my world. It is the time when I am getting ready to attend COLLABORATE 10 in Las Vegas. This is the conference for Oracle users by Oracle users. It is also the time when I am wrapping up my hockey season and starting golf. And finally it seems to be a time when a lot of your work comes together and you begin to see the potential benefits of the work you’ve done over the winter.

First is the greatest conference to attend if you use any part of the Oracle technology stack. This is the first time we will get together to ask Oracle where are we and where are we going? What does the Sun acquisition mean and how should I prepare. I really encourage people of take part in person but if not then attend online via the best value access to the priceless information. Take a look at the IOUG’s Plugged-In to Vegas. You can sign up and “attend” over 40 hours of live sessions and be part of the event by posing your own questions in the room via your Plugged-In login. Take a look, I know I will be there and look forward to seeing everyone at this one-of-a-kind event.

My hockey season is finally coming to a close and it turned out to be a great overall success. My Monday night team played a solid and emotional season, where one of our friends Kevin battled back to play after being diagnosed with Cancer less than a year earlier. You next met a greater bunch of guys. On Thursdays we are still in the playoffs and looking like we might have a chance. Too early to make the call, but will keep you updated. And on Friday game ended in a dramatic final game, where I made the stops I had to but the team dominated to take us to a big win and the Rusty Nail Cup.

And of course Spring brings out the golfer in me. I played my first round on the weekend, April 3rd to be exact. I know I can attribute it to Global Warming, but I have to admit I really had a great time being back out on the course. Shot a 93, which included my first birdie, 3 pars and too many double bogies. And to my amazement the course (not my course) was in great shape. Its funny but April 3rd, 2010 may have been a better day in Toronto than any day last summer.

Looking forward to the next few weeks.

How we Learn

2010-03-17T14:59:00.001-07:00

With COLLABORATE10, the Oracle User Group conference starting April 18th in Las Vegas it started me thinking how do people learn? Or should I say what is the best way to learn a new skill or improve an existing skill.

There is classroom, online, book and other methods. So what is the most effect form to learn this new capability? Well there are many studies out there that state that you will remember lessons better if you are able to apply the skill right away and that you can continue to develop it as you work on this as well. In the classroom or virtual classroom you have the opportunity to do this and ask the trainer for advice and methods. It also makes us think about visual learners versus audio learners. The best way is really only the best for each individual.

I look at COLLABORATE10 and look as the total package of learning and this is why I feel that conferences can have unparalleled learning options. Consider you can spend a full day in an in-depth session learning from a world renowned expert or listen to topics during shorter more concentrated sessions. The real value comes from the teacher of these sessions that can bring you the value. By adding this person to your network and building a relationship with these experts can be the way that you can take these learnings to the next level.

So for me it is about getting involved in my learning and taking it in actively. Learning the subject, but also learning who the experts are so that we can really absorb all of it and understand how best to apply it. Learning is about you, so maybe there is no one answer, but I can tell you that by getting involved by asking the questions will get you closer to your goal.

Weekend Thoughts

2010-02-06T14:08:00.001-08:00

It’s been a while that I have blogged about something other than Oracle and IOUG related things, but today on a Saturday when I am hanging around the house I thought this was one of those times to blog about other topics.

So back to work after my trip to Oracle HQ for the Sun announcement and getting back into the rhythm of the everyday grind. Working with some great clients doing some interesting project. And last night was the Thoughtcorp “Holiday Party”-in February. Ok, a little late but probably better since we could have almost everyone there. It is a really important value that a company, especially a consulting company like ours. We work apart most of the time, but there are so many great people in the company who you can discover or rediscover. It really reinforces the motivation to be part of a team and realize how good a team you are part of. Great party…..great food……great entertainment. And of course watching the “Drunk Guys” struggle to make it to the finish line all added to what these events are all about. Working Hard and Playing Hard.

I also am getting ready for the Olympics in Vancouver. We are a mere 8 days away from the start of the games. I love the Olympics. As a kid in Montreal, I went everyday to see the ‘76 summer games. I loved the experience and am so excited to watch this year’s event. And finally this could be the year that Canada finally wins a gold at a games in Canada…its about time! Turns out that Canada is good at more than hockey and curling and this week SI predicted to be 2nd in medals with 10 of them being gold.

So as winter continues. I think of when I go to Vegas in the Spring. It may be cold outside here in Toronto (-7c) but it was also the first day of the 2010 when the Sun on my face actually felt warm. And basically that means that its almost golf season.

Go Indy! Calling for a big win in tomorrow’s Super Bowl. Only downside for me is that I don’t get to see the US commercials…..looking forward to seeing loads of Tim Hortan’s and Canadian Tire commercials!

Larry Ellison Speaks on Sun

2010-01-27T13:26:00.001-08:00

The last speaker of the day is inevitably the one that everyone who is attending in person and online today the Oracle-Sun update that everyone is waiting to hear from.

Up until we have heard about how Oracle will support and integrate Sun technology into the Oracle stack. We heard how support will adjust to the new support needs and how support will change for Sun customers who will now need to follow the Oracle support and pricing models. This will change things for some. We heard of how the the company will be fully integrated as a company as Oracle does with all acquisitions.

The Larry took to the stage set to a backdrop of his America’s Cup boat. Larry stated that Oracle’s vision is the same as IBM has in 1960 and at that time made IBM the most important company in the world. Oracle and Larry would like to be seen that same way in the future.

The goal will be the integrated products that Oracle will be able to deliver that will leverage the best of the hardware and the software to deliver more products like the Sun-Oracle Exedata server. You should expect to see many more examples of this going forward. They will continue to support the full spectrum of servers, but you should expect the best performance and reliability from the Oracle stack; or at least that’s the idea.

Larry answered the concern about Sun employees and said that he was not planning to lay off half the staff. The reality is that Oracle plans to hire 2,000 new employees focused on Sun, while he expects only a 1,000 layoffs. This is quite a change from what was originally suspected.

Ellison also said that the Sun business will be profitable in February and they will be profitable in the first month which they own it. Larry stated that he expects that the first year profit of 1.5 billion as originally set. He also expect that the business WILL grow and that includes the Sun hardware.

The questions focused on how Oracle will owkr with other companies. Such as why would an SAP customer pick Oracle and Sun or why would they not. Larry stated that you should expect that Oracle and Sun will provide the highest performance and be reliable. He felt that customers will lead the charge to ensure that SAP and others continue to work on and do it well on other platforms but that they work best on Oracle and would ensure that things will continue as is.

On his journey to the top, Larry said that he is not at the top of the mountain yet, but the journey continues towards the top of the software mountain.

The Fun is in the Details

2010-01-27T10:17:00.001-08:00

The Sun deal is one that is a real game changer for Oracle. It now allows them to get into the hardware business. So now they are responsible for enhancing the overall Sun Sparc hardware strategy.

The key will be performance, compatibility, scalability, availability and security. The new roadmap also now includes how to improve application performance and co-engineering with Oracle software. You can already see the first example of this as the Exadata machine shows some of what is possible. Considering that at the time of the Exadata, Oracle and Sun had very different agendas at the time, but yet developed a very interesting product offering that continues to improve. The acquisition will also allow Sun to develop newer chips quicker and more effectively. Where in the past Sun would have been developing one or two new processors at a time, with Oracle support they will be able to begin development on four chips which will allow new technology will arrive sooner and be more reliable, this accelerated roadmap means that Sun/Oracle engineering is also hiring.

Other products like WebCenter has benefited from teh relationship. Sun runs WebCenter faster than other hardware vendors. This is the message that I expected today, Sun is fastest and even fast when it runs Oracle or is that the other way? Does it apply accross the board, is still an outstanding question, but Sun does tell a good story. The focus going forward will include storage, tape archives with teh StorageTek product as well the innovations will include the higher use of Flash technologies will help make thing faster as we move forward

The Sun is Finally Rising for Oracle

2010-01-27T10:03:00.001-08:00

Today I am at Oracle HQ in Redwood Shores in California. This is ground-zero for the latest on what is the next evolution of the acquisition of Sun by Oracle.
Today is a big day in San Francisco; Steve Jobs from Apple will be showing off their new palette computer. So how will Oracle counter this news? This is what we are here in California find out. The announcement of a final Sun/Oracle deal was made official yesterday, but today we get to learn how it will be done.
here is Oracle’s President Charles Phillips as he presents to us today:

Charles Phillips discussed the new theme for Oracle with the completed deal: Software, Hardware; Complete. I like this new message and in its simplicity it truly shows want to expect. They will be providing complete, engineered and integrated systems. The focus will be on open standards, which is no surprise and to improve customer service. The key will be to achieve the highest level of partnership if you really want to leverage Oracle’s sale force. Oracle also announced that they are hiring. They are looking for sales reps for storage, tape and other Sun technologies. If you listen to Charles’ message, he says that these people will be the highest paid in the industry. It will be interesting how sales and partners work together in the new Oracle/Sun world.

From an Oracle partner perspective, things are evolving. You will now need to provide significant added-value to become involved with Oracle. Their focus is partners providing services and products that add value to Oracle or that are no in an area which Oracle performs well within.

Success….Oracle and Sun a Reality

2010-01-21T12:58:00.001-08:00

The story of the day has to be the information that the Oracle Sun deal may finally be coming to a close.

So what are the sign? The first was this morning when ComputerWorld that the European Union has cleared the deal that will allow Oracle and Sun to complete the deal and get on with business. The other was an invitation to be at Oracle HQ in Redwood Shores next week when we will get an update on the “progress” of the deal.

I feel that I have a vested interest in this deal finally being completed as it was envisioned as I had the great privilege to speak on the Oracle user’s behalf at the EU Competition Commission as part of the Oracle team. Being in the room on that day, I had been convinced that this was right decision and that the vision was nearly unanimous that this a good deal to go ahead with. It is an industry that loves to go their own way and competition will continue and open source will continue to be open.

I am so happy for Safra Catz who lead the Oracle team through this journey. I have the chance to see her leadership and now have a better appreciation for the tough job she has and how successfully she does it. I have to thank Oracle for allowing me to strike off one more thing on my list of “1000 Things To Do Before You Die”. I still have some Belgium Chocolate left….maybe I should bring it next week. Might be good for the celebration.

So it looks like everything is finally a go. You should expect to see more about it next week as I will be blogging from Oracle HQ. As well COLLABORATE 10 will have sessions on MySQL. It’s a good time to be part of the Oracle community.

The New Year is Here…..So What’s Next?

2010-01-11T10:44:00.001-08:00

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. 2010 is one that arrives with much anticipation and with hope that we will recover from the tough year that was. The coming year is one that we can expect to build on much of the work we did last year, but start to more fully leverage technology to help us achieve our goals. So what are the themes for 2010? Let’s take a look:

The first theme will be the more effective use of resources. In the past few years we have experienced downsizing and staff freezes, but somehow our workloads increased. This year we will look to ways to improve and optimize productivity. I expect that we will see a higher degree of automation in the area of data management. System and data administrators will need to better leverage the manageability components of their software. I expect to see more people move to proactive monitoring and use the capabilities that are provided in a Web 2.0 world. Now we are not looking for issues, we are preparing to avoid them.

Next, I expect a greater use of off-the-shelf solutions that will allow business to perform 95% of the tasks needed. I expect that the time of large customized solutions is limited. As you may see from Oracle’s Fusion direction we see that software solutions will provide significant process support and will require few customizations. The affect on the business intelligence world is one where most of the “standard” reporting that is needed will be provided and tightly linked to your applications and that the only customizations will be extending these capabilities to provide competitive advantage and reduce complexity and maintenance. The age of custom applications is nearing a close.

The final theme for me today is one that is more a wish. I hope that 2010 will be the year where that Art of Networking is embraced. The new decade will be one where social networking will continue to evolve. I expect we will see greater use for personal and professional reasons of Facebook and LinkedIn. I am still not convinced that Tweets are the wave of the future, but it has been a game-changer. I am just not convinced that most things that are said in 140 characters is useful or important. Sometimes it seems like too much chatter. So my hope is that 2010 will be the year when Gen Y decides that in-person networking is like no other and of course the best place to see it and understand this is by attending COLLABORATE 10 in Las Vegas.

The year has just begun, but few have started with such great promise and need for change.

So What Happens Now? Oracle and Sun

2009-12-17T07:33:00.001-08:00

So after the announcement from Oracle yesterday, I think we all are starting to see that the Oracle acquisition of Sun may finally get done. I have quickly become an expert on the issues in the European Commission’s objections to the purchase, and feel that Oracle’s new 10-step program for MySQL seems to position Oracle and MySQL in a place that will be palatable for all parties.

The key for Oracle and for the MySQL community was to allow the community to continue in the spirit of the Open Source community. I mentioned in my personal comments to the hearing that I feel that IT professionals are innovators and rebels. Based on Oracle’s MySQL direction that they stated, it looks like MySQL will continue in a traditional manner and that Oracle will give customers the option to use it and support it as they need. This should satisfy the community (at least most of it), but should really address any concerns that the EC may have had related to the acquisition.

So it looks like the customers and users that got to be part of the process may have made some difference. I truly believe that we did make a difference and I expect that in some small way helped to form the Oracle of tomorrow.

I can tell you that the upcoming Collaborate conference will include sessions related to Sun technology and that its time to get on board, because I think this deal is on its way to finally becoming a reality.

Oracle Users and Customers Back Oracle at the EU

2009-12-13T07:11:00.001-08:00

As I have been discussing over the past few days; I have been deeply involved in helping Oracle respond to objections that were made by the European Commission surrounding the loss of competition in the database market place by Oracle acquiring Sun. The experience has been one that has proven to me one important factor; computer people are passionate. Sure we may not know how to say hello to a girl, but when it comes to the software we work with on a daily basis we now how to get passionate for that.

I became involved about a week ago after receiving a call from Oracle’s CCO; Jeb Dasteel, from there the experience began. I have already talked about some of the anticipation and if you have been following on Facebook you would have seen commentary I provided during the entire experience, as much for the Oracle community as my kids who are busy studying for finals at McMaster University. Give me a break I’m a proud Dad. So how did things go?

It all began Wednesday afternoon in Brussels, Belgium with meetings at Oracle’s lawyer’s offices, which conveniently were right next to the Conrad Hotel. (BTW, nice hotel and it just so happens that the Italian President was in to speak at the EC and he was staying on my floor, we had a quick spaghetti party on 6.) So, off to the lawyers to discuss and finalize our presentation for the next day. It was determined that since the IOUG and the UKOUG (represented by Chairman Ronin Miles), were both there that we should combine statements. So for the entire afternoon we reviewed the updated materials and took it even further. I expect to have the slides posted in the next few days.

You should understand that these hearings are held in private and without the media. However, I asked the folks at Oracle if they felt this might be an issue and they did not. I can provide you information on what I said but not what I learned during the hearing as they are confidential.

So we were now ready. The power team that had been brought together to address these concerns were all top-notch. Oracle brought its President Safra Catz and the top legal minds inside and outside of Oracle (could have been 20 lawyers in the room, just on Oracle’s side). There was the leadership from Oracle EMEA with Loic le Guisquet, the person who runs the entire practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and a couple of other very senior people who really helped me directly on getting our message together, including Doug Kehring and Wayne Waters. There were economists on both sides. Not sure what economists really do, but they had a lot to say. On top of all the Oracle and legal muscle, there was Miles and me representing the great user community as well as a number of Oracle’s biggest and brightest customers.

The session room was filled to near capacity. Here is a view from my seat in the hearing room.

It included the Competition Commission and the case team working on this file. In addition to what seemed like 100 people associated with Oracle, there were people who were supporting the objection. Some of those groups included: Microsoft, SAP and MariaDB. As well there were representatives from 11 member states of the EC and one guys from US DOJ, I assume they all were here to watch this historical purchase work through the process All of these had a stake in the decision, but for different reasons. Rumours were even swirling that SAP might announce that it now runs on MySQL. I never heard if it does as they spoke on Friday and I assume they were announcing that it was certified to run on that database platform. I only attended the session on Thursday when Oracle made its primary case along with Sun. There and was a great job explaining how the MySQL product really works and why this objection may not make sense. The first was the idea that the EC’s objections may not be based on fact but in an interpretation or twisting of facts. One concern that I heard and stated at the session, was that the commission had questioned the validity of the hundreds of letters sent to the commission by customers and users and user groups. I can reiterate again, that the letter the IOUG sent was created by us without input from Oracle. They provided us a sample but our letter was done by the time we received the sample. Basically we used the address for our letter....over and over each of us pledged that we wrote these on our own without prodding. If it was like the IOUG; we began talks about objecting to the objection as soon as it was released, I expect most people were the same. Rumour even had it that this case may have garnered the most email and direct mail support of any purchase/merger ever for the EC.

The discussions were definitely heated at times. Questions and answered were almost like bombs being thrown from one group to the other. The Commission asked great questions and Oracle’s team were able to respond clearly and quite reasonably. There were many questions that included some emotional concerns, people need to remember that this is business.

As I said during my presentation to the committee, IT professional are innovators and rebels and that nothing that Oracle would do with MySQL would change competition. If someone in IT sees the opportunity to create something new or create a fork of MySQL. The chances are there and it will not be stopped.

I just found the whole process where your accusers are also your jury an interesting concept but this how government work. I don’t know how this will turn out but I can tell you that it is far from over and I expect Oracle will fight this until a just decision is made. Considering that we expected that the deal to close in the summer, it is becoming a real issue. Decisions that need to be made cannot due to the uncertainty. People need to know what the company plans for its staff as it is integrated. This delay is costing people, companies and confidence. I hope that by being there as the President of the IOUG, a user group member, as a Thoughtcorp employee and as an Oracle customer and user, that in some way we have helped them see the light and let this deal go though.

The Adventure Begins

2009-12-08T07:28:00.001-08:00

Today is the day that I have had little time to really mentally prepare for as my trip to the European Commission. I still find it amazing that I have this opportunity to speak as part of the government process to complete this multi-billion dollar deal. Somehow I am now in the middle of it and today is the day that I finally fly to Brussels.

The entire trip to Brussels is a first for me, I have been many places and seen many great things. I find that breathing in a great city from its architecture so important when I go to places with great history and Brussels seems to have held onto its ancient roots. As for my presentation. Another first, I have spoken in front of many audiences in my day but for most of those talks it has generally alright to open with a joke. I expect that after the team gets through reviewing my content they may decide to pull the joke and go with the more serious stuff.

I am actually very exciting to present some preliminary information about the types of databases that people are running. The IOUG along with Unisphere Research we have been conducting a survey on virtualization and we have some results already that are interesting. Turns out that of the people who took the survey close to 90% run Oracle as their enterprise database and of that almost 90% of those companies also run MS SQL Server and then 44% use MySQL. The results are interesting and deeper than this but some of it will form the basis of some of are existing arguments. I together with Ronin Miles, the Chairman of the UKOUG, will present the position of the user communities and it all begins in just a couple of days.

On the lighter side I was thinking about some of the great adventures and places that I have been part of my life already. And in no particular order:

Discovering Israel (wow….that’s history)
Exploring Rome
Living in London for 6 months
Exploring the ruins of Pompeii
St Petersburg
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Attending the 1976 Olympic in Montreal
Meeting Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Being at the 1994 NY Rangers Game 7 win in the conference finals
Nos Expos (enough said)
Attending 3 Stanley Cup parades
Being there as my home province of Quebec was considering separation; I heard one of the greatest speeches in Quebec history as Rene Levesque called on Quebecers to rally after the loss for the separatists
Seeing the kids grow up….that’s the greatest adventure
And now on to: Speaking at the EC

I am sure there are many others……it’s amazing to look back and see where we have been and how much we have already done. Of course there is still so much to go.

Another Day Closer to Brussels

2009-12-04T06:43:00.001-08:00

Friday and another day closer to me going to Brussels to speak at the EU. In a way it seems a little surreal at this point in time.I continue to work on my presentation to get ready for next week and still have to do my day job to do and boy are things getting busy these days at Thoughtcorp as we build momentum in the Enterprise Data Group during this time of a BI explosion. Always good to be busy.

My logistics are done and I am looking forward to seeing Brussels if only for a short time. I’ve been to Belgium before. I plan to see what I can in the evenings, this is a country with long history and we are going to be in the core of Brussels close to the old city. There are a number of UN Heritage Sites in the city which I look forward to seeing during the holiday period. I always loved the way London comes alive during the holidays. I seem to always time my European trips during the Fall and Winter, not sure how it works out, but one day. A few years back I had the chance to attend the UKOUG conference in Birmingham and if I am not mistaken it rained 8 out 9 days. A perfect week in the UK in December, so hopefully it will be better next week in Brussels.

One thing that has been interesting to see the reaction of people when you let them know that you are going away next week. This must be important as I have to miss hockey next week and I don’t like to miss hockey. Being the goalie you need to be there. So I told the team last night, and this is a team where I am on the older side of the Bell curve and most of the guys are in their 20’s. When I tell the story of how I was going to speak at the EU, the reactions ranged from disbelief to amazement. I play hockey with these guys but they don’t really understand what I do in my job let alone the IOUG. I am still trying to figure out how I am going to be part of this process but one thing is that I am going to soak up the experience.

Right now my wife is planning her days while I will be sequestered at the EU. Belgium and Brussels of course is known for its chocolate. I think she plans a tour and tasting of each in the city. And Belgium has a connection to Canada via the poem that in Canada symbolizes the sacrifice of our soldiers have made for us and I can remember hearing it every Remembrance Day growing up. We even have a part of the poem on our $5 bill. Finally they tell me that I need to eat waffles, French fries and beer……so I look forward to a fun gastronomic experience.

So the wheels are in motion and the experience of a lifetime is getting closer. At least I have two hockey games between now and when I leave to keep my mind clear. The weekend pack and plan before I know it I will be looking in the souvenir shops looking to add to my travel snow globe collection.

Standing Behind Your Words

2009-12-03T14:18:00.001-08:00

I am about to embark on an experience which I would never have imagined would have been on my path in life. Next week I will be going to the European Union’s Competition Committee to present the position of the IOUG on the pending acquisition of Sun by Oracle. As you may have already read previously in my blog; the IOUG’s leadership is of the opinion that the purchase will not affect competition in the database market. We feel that the technology community are innovators and they will respond to the needs and desires of the marketplace.

So I have been asked by Oracle, on behalf of the IOUG, to go to Brussels and be a part of their presentation to the EU. This has all evolved very quickly. I have to thank everyone at my company, Thoughtcorp, for their support during a hectic time. To me it illustrates the leadership that companies like ours can show in today’s diverse technology landscape.

So believe it or not I am flying to Brussels (Home of the EU) next Tuesday (arriving Wednesday morning) and then on to lunch and meetings…..wonder if they will be serving waffles?

This entire process is one that illustrates to me how you need to be prepared for anything when you make a statement. You need to be confident in yourself and the great team around you to make such a curveball into one of the great experiences of ones life. My segment before the commission will be around 15 minutes and basically present the position the IOUG published in our recent press release. I have to thank the Board and staff at the IOUG who all took part in building our position on the subject. I am ready to tell the EU why the IOUG made the statement that we did and why we support the deal, sometimes you need to stand up for what you feel is right and this is about as big a political stage they could find.

So here I go; I get to be part of something that for me may be a once in a lifetime experience. I am excited and anxious about how it will all come together, but I am confident in my knowledge and abilities to represent the IOUG community in a responsible manner. After all this is done, it would be nice to say that the Oracle database user community stood up and made a stand and helped to influence the direction of tomorrow’s technology landscape.

I look forward to sharing as much of my experience with you as I can; as Ian’s Excellent Adventure begins.

Responding to the EU Objection to Oracle’s purchase of Sun

2009-11-12T09:09:00.001-08:00

The past few days have been an exciting and interesting series of events. Recently the European Competition issued objections to the purchase of Sun by Oracle. Remember that this deal has already been approved by the US Competition Commission. So what’s the hold-up?

It appears that the EU feels that Oracle acquiring Sun will limit competition in the database marketplace. On the surface this seems like an valid observation based on market share alone. Consider that Oracle is the #1 database in enterprise environments and that MySQL is leading in smaller database environments. So that means that Oracle will be the #1 database vendor. Does it limit competition when you dominate the marketplace? Does it stop companies like IBM, Microsoft and others to develop and innovate in their own product stacks. The IOUG Board discussed our response and it was a consensus opinion that the acquisition of Sun and MySQL will not limit competition. Considering that we are the user group who focuses solely on Oracle database and middleware technology that we were well suited to respond in a meaningful way.

We feel that the delay is causing even more damage by adding a level of uncertainty to the company’s future and will impact profits and dollars. Considering that Oracle has purchased other databases in the past illustrates how well Oracle continues to support and innovate in these various DBs. Oracle purchased RDB years ago, and more recently TimesTen, Berkeley DB and Essbase, and each have been supported and extended. Oracle purchases products that help them in being leaders in both proprietary databases as well as open ones.

For me this is really a question about innovation and not competition. As we often say…”If you build a better mousetrap…”, and it is not different in this case. MySQL was created as an inexpensive alternative to the big databases. It was built by a private group named MySQL AB who felt that a small cheap and sometimes free database would be able to grab market in the competitive database field. Somehow they did capture marketshare from companies that felt they were untouchable. To go on and become the leader in many verticals especially on the web. So where is the next MySQL and how will step up and compete and how does this purchase stop it. Competition is driven by innovation, differentiation and market needs, and the IOUG feels that the EU objection is ungrounded.

Technology in Sports

2009-11-02T10:59:00.001-08:00

Yesterday as I often do on a Sunday morning that I am not playing golf I watched the last Formula 1 race of the season from Abu Dhabi. The race had many exciting portions and a great finish for an F1 race, but what really impresses me with F1 and Baseball for that matter is their use of technology to gain a competitive edge.

In the F1 world the prime motivation is to improve speed and grip, those two factors allow a car to go quickly while allowing the driver to keep the car on the course. In F1, you look at the car and know that these cars have gone through extensive design and testing and every component that is exposed to the air is tested for its wind dynamics and overall effect on the car. This is done right down to the mirrors that jut from every car. The science of airflow is critical to success. Every team in F1 today looks at information that is captured during the running of the cars in practice and in the race and based on the information teams make adjustments. This is light years ahead of the information that the likes of Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart or Stirling Moss had available to them. Back then it was all based on feel and driver knowledge to optimize the car, but now people like Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso spend almost as much time behind a computer screen as they do behind the windscreen. Auto racing and sports have entered the new era where information collected and reported on is king.

Baseball which is one sport that has always embraced information has recently made leaps in the pervasive use of technology. For years MLB has been collecting and as Bill James, the legendary baseball data guru, said “Our ability to generate statistics has gotten way ahead of our ability to make any sense of it.” Today baseball is using data and visualizations to help pitchers and hitter optimize their performance. A good friend of mine, Ari Kaplan, is one of those people who are helping teams make sense of it. Ari is able to provide pitch-by-pitch information, pitching and batting trends, as well as information about the strike zone called by each umpire. As you can well imagine, this information can be the difference between winning and losing and based on the teams in the playoffs, I expect that every team in this year’s playoff has used stats to get them into a more advantageous position, the days of scouts going to every game and taking notes may still be happening, but by removing emotion and moving to a data based strategy is one that has begun.

Technology and sports has become inseparable and those that take part are creating an advantage that can help a team win a world championship or world series.

The IOUG at Oracle Open World 2009 – A Retrospective

2009-10-23T08:40:00.001-07:00

A week has passed since I was last in San Francisco and I felt that now that I was over jetlag it would be a good time to look back at how the week went from mine and the user perspective.

The week for me has always been about networking and sharing and this week was no different. Although it looked like attendance was down, it was great to see the people who could make it plus the lines tended to be shorter. Which when you want to get to the corn dog at the Big Bash it was a good thing. The other advantage is that this was one year when I did not hear about people being unable to attend sessions due to room capacities. The people really do make this event. Below is a picture of me and a couple of IOUG Board members, Michelle Malcher and Todd Sheetz, at the IOUG booth at Open World. They along with the rest of the Board really did such a great job with the IOUG led programming that I am sure it helped everyone who attended one of out sessions.

The week as with most OpenWorld was about product direction and product understanding. I think as always Oracle presented their direction clearly for what they know and can talk about. The question of the finalization of the Sun acquisition was handing like a big lead balloon over the entire event. I expect that when the EU finally allows this deal to go through, Oracle will have a strategy that will quickly integrate both businesses and communities together. The IOUG had some meeting with some folks from the various Sun communities and I feel that we have a number of synergies that will help both groups to benefit from the additional topics that become part of technology education.

I also met with a number of senior Oracle technology and Business Intelligence executives to see how they planned to focus their products in the next year and how the IOUG can help our users get ready for this technology. The focus for 2010 includes BI and Analytics and we are focused on providing the best Oracle BI event in conjunction with COLLABORATE10 event coming in April 2010 in Las Vegas. BTW, if you want to submit an abstract for COLLABORATE10, today is you last day….so click here to submit and abstract. The focus on driving down costs was clearly stated by all of the Oracle folks. The key is that through better more effective use of shared and open technology you can drive down costs. From a DW perspective the Exadata and Database Machine seems like the flavour of the day. I realize that this is some great technology and can provide some customers with some real performance, so don’t get me wrong about this, the other DW appliance manufacturers must be concerned. The latest version of the machine from Oracle and Sun show us where this company is going and how technology will make a difference. The speed of the basic machine along with Flash Memory provides the power not only for data warehousing but now for OLTP as well. Ray Roccaforte talked about how he expected this flash memory improvement to help DWing in the future, but for now it provides OLTP with the additional power of The Database Machine. I have to admit when I first discussed this machine with the VP in charge of this, I said I was surprised that Oracle had not gone after the OLTP market with this approach and now a year later here it is.

Lots of discussion around OBIEE and ODI/OWB, since this was my focus for the week and it was great to see how people are truly exploiting this technology. Considering how late Oracle arrived into the BI and DW tool game, they are making some solid moves into this domain and their tools can really provide the performance and results that companies are looking for.

Also met with some users involved with Z/Series Linux, a group that runs Oracle on Linux on IBM mainframes. This is a small but passionate group that was looking to the IOUG to support their networking and educational goals, and I expect that we will see many of these folks in Las Vages at COLLABORATE10 as we develop a conference-within-conference for the community.

The last evening was Aerosmith, Roger Daltrey, The Wailer and 3 Dog Night. I made it to 3 of 4, only missing the Dogs. Aerosmith was its usual polished self, with Steven Tyler being award and IOUG Lifetime achievement award. Daltrey was the biggest surprise as he delivered a great set of well known and lesser known Who material. He was in fine form and he voice in its 60th year was able to keep up. The Wailers were awesome. I grew up in Montreal with the music of Bob Marley and The Wailers and I had seen them perform before, so it was great to hear the wonderfully energizing music fill the San Fran nights.

The show wrapped and by the end of it many of us were happy to return back to share the word. I expect that 2010 will be an exciting year whether you are a Oracle or Sun customer, as we learn how the next evolution for Oracle and the user communities.

Oracle OpenWorld – We call today….Larryday

2009-10-14T16:49:00.001-07:00

As every Wednesday comes at OpenWorld we know one thing. This is the day that Larry Ellison speaks to his customers and let’s them know what Oracle has been up to lately and tells us what we should be looking at in the Oracle world. So today I decide to rename the day “Larryday”.

The keynote is the most important session of the week and you can always tell something is up as security dogs show up at the Moscone Center, you know Larry is coming.

Ellison finally took the stage after someone from Infosys, not sure what they do, but running Toastmaster classes is not one of them.

As with most seminars this week, the promotion of the Database Machine/Exadata servers and this session was not going to be that different. I have to admit that I am very excited by this technology. I come from a background of implementing Netezza servers and I would suggest that right now they must be worried about the Oracle offering. It is amazing how

The challenge went out to IBM or anyone $10 million for anyone who can out perform the latest Database Machine. Consider that IBM is challenging Oracle claim that they are 16x faster; according to Ellison IBM thinks the claim should only be 6x faster. Here is Larry calling out the universe:

The surprise guest was next and this year it was Arnold Schwarzenegger who showed up and was here to “Pump you up”. He also commented that his IQ had gone up by 10 points just by showing up. Those who attend this event know that when you leave the event that your Oracle IQ is 10 points higher. Arnold said he loved all technology; hi tech, bio-tech, nano-tech, he loves it all. Consider how much he was helped by technology. Whether it was his body building career (food supplements) or movies, he uses it everywhere. Here is The Arnold up on the stage today.

Of course as with any politician he had to make his social comments about California being a green state and you have to admit they are doing more than most. His talk was funny lively and just what we needed to lighten things up and get back to the real world.

That’s it for now…..have to get ready for Aerosmith, Roger Daltry, 3 Dog Night and the Wailers. It is going to be a great night and will give you an update about how it went.

Oracle 11g for Data Warehousing

2009-10-12T15:07:00.001-07:00

Back with the latest update.[ the day has been crazy already and its not done yet. I am finally finished my presentation “An ETL Framework using OWB”. I think it went well. It was good to see so many people who are interested in this compelling technology. The basic message I had for people is that for ETL…..keep it simple. And as for the choice of OWB; it is one that your budget will like and your developers will be able to use to produce most of the results that you need. It is a compelling ETL choice. Thanks to everyone who attended and took part in the session.

So now on the next and related session, the Oracle 11g Database for Data Warehouses with Ray Roccaforte who is one of Oracle leading data warehousing gurus. It started with a discussion of the latest version of Database Machine (Exadata), he explained how they were able to achieve a huge performance gain over the orginal version of the Exadata server. With improved everything including CPU, interconnect, memory and so much more, has provided a doubling of the performance. As well the latest compression and new storage indexes which reduces I/O to near zero., this is done by ensuring that the min and max values are within a read range, so it only read what it needs to. In addition the new columnar compression allows for more effective storage. It stores data based on a column and then compressed….very cool. No quite a column database but they seem to be getting closer.

The discussion around the features in teh database is one that I always like. So consider that OLAP and Data Mining and Analytics are built right into the database and can access data effectively and efficiently. The tighter integration in 11g with OBIEE and the database is another encouraging feature. These are areas that poeple may not be aware that they exist, so I would encourage people to take a look at this technology it could save real dollars considering the cost of other analytic software today.

So the message is that Exadata is a real option for DW deployments and they are pushing this message out to the audience today

Oracle Provides Direction

2009-10-11T10:58:00.001-07:00

During this morning opening session, Charles Phillips and Safra Katz tried to inspire the troops about Oracle current and future offerings. It almost seems like Oracle was searching for a message….and if I am to draw one thing from today’s sesison was that Oracle has software to help you do anything. As Safra mentioned today, software in the past was like ordering a car part by part and then calling a mechanic, welder and other people to put it together for you. Of course as soon as your finished your car, a light comes on to tell you you need an upgrade. So the message was that this was not the approach Oracle was taking, its goal is to provide integrated solutions that all work together and benefit from teh features of each. they focused on how Oracle is now number 1 in middleware with the full integration of BEA and the launch of Webcenter suite 11g and how Oracle now has a very viable middleware solution that relies on open and extendable capabilities. The value is in making everything work together. Below are Charles and Safra up on stage today.

There were a number of product managers who presented information about Primavera, Peoplesoft, CRM and Retek. They mentioned that companies like H&M and Zara have changed the way retail is being done and Oracle’s Retek has done a great job in supporting these changes to provide retail companies with better information to run their business better and ultimately making a greater profit. They also showed that with the integration of BI, which is allowing businesses can be more efficient in products selling and can meet today’s changing retail approach.

And the announcement of the CIO of the Year and turns out to there actually 5 CIOs of the year from numerous companies all over the world. Too many to name but they seemed pleased to be getting the award.

Next up is HP’s Ann Livermore….can’t wait to see if she discusses how the Sun acquisition will impact the Oracle-HP relationship. We shall see

User Groups Kick Off Open World

2009-10-11T08:57:00.001-07:00

Today in San Francisco begins the annual Oracle led customer event; Oracle OpenWorld. The conference is one where people can learn Oracle’s direction for technology on the near and long-term. Sunday is a very valuable day for people who attend the event. It is Sunday that is day when the user communities run sessions that are technically focused on various components of the Oracle database and middleware.

The IOUG is front and center in this activity starting the day with important topics including security, business intelligence among many others. Of course if you are here come by the IOUG booth in Moscone West (2nd floor) and meet others with similar interests as you.

I started my Oracle Openworld experience with the security topic. The session is a panel discussions with individuals from the user community sharing real world experiences and with the people from Oracle who are responsible for delivering the security technology to us. Below is Andy Flower of LoganBrittan and Tanya Baccam of Baccam consulting that re giving great insights into the current state of security and providing tips on how to improve it.

It is interesting that current issues that people are experriencing and little people are doing with regard to security. The IOUG survey has illustrated some many issues that people are experiencing. With a little work DBAs and SysAdmins we can do a lot. Organization need to look to encryption, audit and options like Oracle’s Data Vault.

One small question I have….When is a blogger not a blogger? The answer is when Oracle decides that a Blog is not a Blog…so my adventure starts without Blogger credentials…let’s see if I can beat the system and still get they access I need this week...that’s all for now…..and on to the rest of the week.

Come meet the IOUG at Oracle OpenWorld

2009-10-05T07:03:00.001-07:00

We are only days away from the start of Oracle OpenWorld, the annual gathering of Oracle professionals that is held close the Oracle HQ in San Francisco. It is an event that is hectic to say the least and one where valuable information can be overwhelming you need to find some anchors and ways to get the most out of your time there.

We always say that one of the most valuable benefits that the IOUG provide is around networking and in the mass of people who attend Openworld how can you build these networks. So here is my suggestion on how to start or continue to build your network: Join and be part of the IOUG. Starting on Sunday of Openworld it will be your time to find and meet the people in the user community with similar interests to you in an environment of education and sharing. On Sunday we will be running SIG Day at Openworld. During this day our Special Interest Groups will be running education and panels to discuss real world technical issues that are of important for all of us in the Oracle technology community. This is the place to start your week off on the right foot and take part. Find the people who are already active in the community, we are always looking for new friends :). Of course the IOUG presents a number of sessions scattered during the week. So you know if it is education you want look for the user group to help you.

In addition we will have a booth in Moscone West….so I would suggest everyone comes by and makes this a great user community meeting place. Many of the IOUG Board will be “manning” the booth, so come by and make that connection to the people who have many of the same interests and questions as you. Plus you might meet someone nice to go to Aerosmith with. See you Sunday!

Oracle Technology Choices

2009-09-25T07:34:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to be part of a discussion about Portals and how Oracle technology and my company Thoughtcorp could help a potential customer solve their business needs. It was a great discussion and I think helped me understand the thought process that people go through when considering major IT decisions.

The choice of software from a company like Oracle is a difficult one, customers need to consider the cost and cost of ownership. We often get a great deal on a car to find out that the service costs are so high that the car becomes too costly to keep. So you need to consider both the short and long-term costs. In this case and with most decisions it is more than simply cost, it is about benefits. The Oracle WebCenter product that has grown from the BEA acquisition, is a solid product offering on the market. In addition the product is feature rich and Oracle has provided numerous services to ease development and make the adherence to standards much easier. It is about making your decision “future-proof”.

I realize that saying that any product is future-proof might seem naive, but the reality is that adopting a product that adheres to open source standards and provides you with solid current capabilities and anticipated features in the future, the Oracle WebCenter choice is close to this goal.

The choice based on function and vision is where how the best decisions are made and I look forward to seeing where this discussion goes.

Oracle Database 11g Release 2 Is Now Available

2009-09-02T06:41:00.001-07:00

Today is a big day in the lifecycle of the Oracle database. Today Oracle released it’s first port of the 11g R2 for Linux. With the release of this version of the database Oracle has brought us a solid release of the 11g database.

This release focuses on reducing costs and Oracle has provided and improved numerous features that will provide this support. The move is to easier management and features to optimize feature management. The new release will make ASM management easier and ASM will now support all data structure storage. The database has improved more than storage but the way that data is stored. Improved compression and partitioning. Being so data warehouse focused, I always look at those aspects. There is improvements in OLAP and Analytics. You might want to find Charlie Berger of Oracle, who would will tell you the depth of analytical capabilities in the database. I am always surprised how many people buy SAS and don’t know what is available in their Oracle database. And if you have a Linux server you can download the latest release.

The IOUG was heavily involved in the beta testing of release 2 and the feedback was really good, so the anticipation has been building for all of us to get to this release out and into the public.

I am excited about this release as it should give organizations the confidence to start wide adoption of 11g. The time has come for Oracle Database 11g and release 2 will provide the confidence and stability that is needed in today’s 24/7 world.

Check out the Oracle 11g Release 2 web page for more information. The IOUG is planning some 11g R2 webcasts and will be the talk of OpenWorld.

Single Technology Stack. Is it the Answer?

2009-08-25T09:41:00.001-07:00

Today with the continued consolidation of technology by a small number of vendors has changed the way we see software and technology. I have been talking to various people over the past few weeks about Oracle and how it now controls the entire technology stack…..or will once (and if) the purchase of Sun is completed. The questions are always the same…..Are people concerned about Oracle controlling everything from hardware to applications? Will innovation be limited as a result? What will happen to 3rd party vendors who are on the outside looking in? How will this impact the customer experience? All of these are valid questions and are concerns we should all be thinking about.

So let me try to take on some of these questions from my perspective. The first is how concerned we should be by a single vendor controlling a technology stack. First off, I don’t think this is something new…..have you ever looked at IBM? They have been working on providing a single stack of technology and tools that can all be bought from them. Seems like it was a problem in the past, but now people are getting concerned because the company following a similar model is Oracle. Oracle can now provide customers with a support model that covers you from the operating system to your applications. This seems like a great opportunity to simplify our lives by now looking to one vendor for full support, whereas before each would blame the other until the actual cause of the issue is found. I don’t see the concept of a complete technology stack from a vendor being bad for an organization.

On the question of innovation; will innovation be limited by consolidation? Again, I don’t think so. Oracle has always been an innovative company. Consider how much the Oracle database has changed over the years; Oracle 6 and Oracle 11g are basically the same database, but it is like calling a Ford Model T and a Toyota Prius the same….after all they are both cars. The newer car and the newer databases include innovations that many can see and some that one cannot. The internals of the database continues to strengthen and Oracle has improved the product through internal improvements and by acquiring complimentary products to support the ultimate vision for the database. I don’t seeing Oracle being less of an innovator, but more so to keep their technology stack as a leading option when considering an organization’s technical direction.

Finally, how will this affect 3rd party vendors and their tools? I would be concerned for some vendors who today compete against the products in the Oracle stack. Oracle will have an advantage to be able to provide solutions with Oracle that would previously had required an additional investment with another vendor. I have seen recently a large telecommunications company that decided to convert all of their data warehouse into a pure Oracle solution. This requires the replacement of their ETL and BI tools. Are these tools better than what they are replacing? Probably not, but the benefit of having the single support structure and the leverage to focus on one technology has made this a choice that many are considering.

So should you fear the “Single-Stack”? I don’t think you should; Oracle has been able to fill in the voids in their offerings through careful acquisitions and as such provide us with solutions that we can be sure will work and a direction which will reduce the overall cost of working with Oracle. At this point, I would say that we embrace consolidation but keep a careful eye on our vendors making sure they continue to innovate and provide solutions that help organization be more successful.

The Best You Can Be; Can Be the Best You Are With

2009-08-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

I always look to Friday as a day that should be something more than work. It is a day I usually reflect and look back at how the week was good and how I could have made it better. This week I realized something about team and being a teammate. I know I have gone on in the past about team work and my hockey team, but today I realized something about work that sparked today’s blog entry.

I work for Thoughtcorp, we are a reasonably sized solutions company based in Toronto. These guys have been around a long time and at one point were a competitor of mine, so this type of business is nothing new to me. What I realized this week is that this is a team with great talent (which I already knew) but what I didn’t get this week was the energy this team had and the focus it puts into doing business. I realized that some of the old companies I worked for had lost it and I too missed the signs that it had happened. The concept of a team in those organization was lost. We lost the ability to motivate each other, we got into a rut. Those companies may not even realize they have lost the internal challenge to be great, but I see it now. It is critical for an organization to survive it needs to be its best. the motivation I found this week made me realize that work again is like hockey and golf

How do we get better at any sport? We learn from and play against people who are more skilled than us. Taking up the challenge and not shirking away from it is how we can harness the motivation to be better or at least better than our competitors. In a team environment it becomes a way of making the entire team better….if you don’t constantly challenge yourself to be as good as those around you you will never be great.

The user community is the same way in an Oracle sort of way. I look at how my career has been impacted by the user community. Would I have authored a book? Become President of the IOUG? Helped to create two companies? Created solutions that matter? Maybe but I feel that my taking the chance to take an active role in the IOUG has made it all happen in some way. It was the motivation of meeting the people in the community and learning what was possible. The people in this community are leaders and by using them as examples and mentors the value to an individual and organization it limitless. We need to use this motivation to make us better individuals. It seems so clear and easy but you need to see it and realize the value to all those around you. Then you become the motivator for others. Make it a great weekend!

The IOUG Board Update

2009-08-10T07:39:00.001-07:00

I just returned from the annual Summer IOUG Board meeting. As the President I help to facilitate the meeting and I hope in some ways motivate us to think creatively to provide strategic direction to to a group membership of close to 25,000 total members. So what are we up to?

The meeting was one where we discussed the strategic direction of the group and how to provide the most value to our members. We focus on our individual and corporate members and how we can ensure that the dues they pay provide value. We looked at how to deliver education that can meet today’s changing technical and economic environments. So to this end we came up with ideas to provide more focused or “Boot Camp”-type training. So when we look to our offering we would focus on helping people navigate certain topics. Topics focused on the database, security, business intelligence, middleware, Fusion among others. We talk about ways that we might be able to deliver it. So whether it be by virtual channels or in person, we look at the best options. So I expect that you will see how we focus the message and the web site and our value to ensure that you can get specific defined value from your membership.

As part of what we talked about was some survey results that we previously discussed which focused on the value that the IOUG provide to our members. One of the findings was the networking that our group provides. So are looking at ways to improve and encourage better and more effective interactions. So we look to social networking and to how we can get more people involved. Let me know some of your ideas if you have any…..

And 2009-10 IOUG season will be putting a focus on Business Intelligence as we work to educate the Oracle and BI communities about the solution stack that Oracle offers. We are working with regional partners to start BI user communities in various cities including Chicago and COLLABORATE will host a deep drive into the subject at our event in Las Vegas, April 2010. And we are looking at other events that will put more focus on the subject matter that matters so much.

Finally I just want to mention a friend who I met through this crazy world. Michael Abbey, who was my inspiration and motivation to get involved in the user group. This past weekend Michael went to Ethiopia to take on an Oracle project. What an adventure and all because of the relationships he created through the user group. Michael is a great DBA and I expect will leaving a lasting impact on his work over there. If you want to follow Michael’s Adventure check out his blog (Abbey Seein’ Ya). The entire IOUG is waiting to hear your stories.

So we are back at it now and putting our plan together and will start to get it out to you. But the is an exciting and vibrant time and we are working towards making it even better for all of us.

So soon you will start hearing about what we will be doing and how the IOUG will be evolving.

Making sure to renew your IOUG Membership

2009-08-08T07:47:00.001-07:00

We often say that membership has its privileges and being an IOUG is one of those items. The concept of being a member of a user group is one that is appreciated by many and foreign to others. The value that we get has already been discussed (take a look at this entry), but of course we understand that the content that can be found via the IOUG is very valuable and often available only via our website. This includes whitepapers, presentations, webcasts and podcasts. The network that you can build is second to none, so are you ready to join or renew?

We often think that the low membership price for joining the IOUG is an easy amount for any individual or organization can afford, but with these times we are experiencing it is important to include your IOUG membership as an important part of your spending. The budgeting cycle for many companies is starting during the “dog-days” of summer. So it imperative to get your dollars ready for your renewal to make sure you have the dollars you need when your renewal comes up.

So like everything that is important to you, you need to plan. So remember when your budget comes up you should include make sure you budget for your membership. The cost of your membership can be saved by one tip or one contact who can save you enough time or money to be able to justify your membership for years to come.

Wizards and Templates

2009-08-06T10:12:00.001-07:00

It seems that we look at application development at something that is specific and that we are the first company that wants to build this application. The idea is that our business is so different than others that there can’t be anything out there that satisfies my business needs. Of course the truth in 2009 is different than the realities of the 90’s.

The ability to quickly create and deploy solutions is paramount today, as a result of the concept that we are not as different than we think, companies like Oracle provide out-of-the-box capabilities and quick start services and objects that can be leveraged to provide significant functionality that address many of our needs. So if you are implementing BI for your financial, telecom, or almost any other industry, Oracle provide a number of pre-packaged BI components such as financial analysis, marketing support and many others. It is from this point that an organization can ensure that they buy the basics and then build the competitive advantage pieces.

The same goes for WebCenter. Webcenter comes with a number of services that enable the deployment of Portal technology in a fast and effective manner. So if you need a portal application that supports, email, social networking, document services, discussions, wikis and more. So the question we ask today is why build. Why not customize?

The choice of Oracle technology is one that comes with a significant price tag, but the value that you can get from the products that will reduce costs and shorten implementation times. We all need to dig a little deeper and learn from the past to save money in the future.

Oracle 11g Release 2 is Coming

2009-08-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Being part of the user group like the IOUG does have it's privileges. One of the things we get to do is take part in the Oracle database Beta program. As most people know; Oracle has been feverishly working to complete the latest release of the database (Oracle 11g Release 2). The user group was able to help Oracle test this release of the database, by suggesting customers who wanted to take part in the Beta testing. This is truly a value to the individual, their organization and Oracle. Together they work to bring a solid product to general release.

So what is most compelling about the upcoming release of the database? Of course I can't answer the specifics of that until Oracle releases the product some time in the near future, but what I can say is that this is the release of the 11g database that people should find to provide the stability and performance. The old joke goes how can you tell if someone is a Junior or Senior DBA? The answer goes that when the first version of the software arrives the Junior DBA wants to install it straight to production and the Senior DBA throws out the CD and waits for Release 2. Sadly the reality of this joke has some truth in it as organization often wait until the second release before installing the latest product. So here we are with Oracle 11g Release 2, and based on what I have seen I would suggest that as the information about this release is disseminated you should start to consider the adoption of the this release. It will increase performance, increase features and increase the return on your database investment by doing things better and smarter.

It is time to put on your Oracle Database 11g radar and start collecting the information that will help you decide if the time is right for you to enter into the 11g universe and start to using it to help your business be better and more effective

Oracle Purchases GoldenGate

2009-07-24T08:21:00.001-07:00

Another day and another acquisition by Oracle. The latest is GoldenGate. This is a company that has created products that provide real time Data Warehousing and high availability solutions.

As with most Oracle acquisitions, this one is not that different. Oracle has purchased GoldenGate as it is one of the leaders in these various areas. It will be interesting to see how Oracle will integrate these technologies into their own stable of products. Word from the street is that GoldenGate customers are very satisfied with their products.

From a Data Warehousing side the real-time warehousing will be a nice addition and extension to the current offerings of ODI and OWB. GoldenGate leverages CDC technology and provides timely data warehouse updates.

From a high availability perspective, the acquisition will provide additional stand-by options and reduce outages. I expect to see much of this technology rolled into Oracle existing products to extend and improve them.

The IOUG is excited by this purchase and we welcome the GoldenGate user community to the Oracle fold. I expect that as we move forward we will work on integrating this community to provide them with a network of other Oracle professionals who serve their needs. It is an exciting time to be working with Oracle.

User Group and Oracle Loyalty

2009-07-16T10:33:00.001-07:00

Recently the IOUG and Oracle embarked on a survey that collected the value that people receive from user groups like the IOUG and Oracle. I mentioned this survey previously and I hope that many of you took the time to complete it.

So what did this survey tell us? What did it tell Oracle? It told us that generally people are very satisfied. The survey showed that 80% of people who are associated with one of the participating in a user group are Very Satisfied with this relationship. This is no surprise for people who are already members, and has now confirmed this with Oracle.

So what did you identify as the most valuable reason for being a member? I think that question is quite obvious; it is Networking. Again over 75% of respondents said that Networking was a very valuable benefit of being a member. In addition similar numbers were seen in the Education provided by the user community. This confirms what we see as being our value. The user groups are the best place to go to meet people who have similar Oracle interests. The value of in-person and virtual networking are two of the foci for the coming year for the IOUG. The only place you can get unbiased information about Oracle technology comes from the user communities and this survey has confirmed this value.

The key is providing value. People today understand that they need to do more with less. So user groups need to provide this type of cost-effective education. The IOUG is looking at working on a BI event in the coming months. We expect this will be a virtual event in the late fall and one that will be delivered at a very advantageous price point. The IOUG is listening and our program is changing to meet our member needs.

One interesting tidbit that as mention today was mentioned was that according to some folks at Oracle, it seems like User Group members log less Service Requests for support. So now how will Oracle help the user groups is the question as we already know how user groups help its members and Oracle. As some people say “Membership Has It’s Privileges”…..take some time and join in. (www.ioug.org)

An Oracle User Summer

2009-07-14T09:38:00.001-07:00

As the summer moves along, I look back and forwards to see where the IOUG has come from and where we are going.

COLLABORATE was of course the big in-person and on-line event of the technology user year and it was another great success. Considering the economy, the value that we are got from the annual event was spectacular. The new content about the database and middleware was better than ever. It is always great to see the speakers who come each year and share their experiences. So now we are on to planning next year’s event and I am more excited than ever.

Next year COLLABORATE 10 will be held in Las Vegas in April 2010 and the focus will be on Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing. We will provide a focus and a larger number of sessions

Planning for our next events this summer and fall are well underway. We are working with Oracle on various user group activities that are part of Open World. We will be putting on technical presentations on the Sunday of the event. As well as numerous sessions during the week. I know I am excited as I will be unveiling my latest presentation named “An ETL Framework for OWB”. The IOUG and our members will be there in force and we look forward to seeing everyone again.

In addition we are working on either a RAC or BI focused event. Considering the growth of these areas and the experts that are active members of the community make these subjects top of mind and 2 areas that the IOUG continues to focus on.

Finally as President I will be attending the North American User Group Presidents meeting at Oracle’s office in Atlanta. It is at these meetings where all the user groups get together to discuss the subjects that are of most interest. As you should already know the IOUG recently worked with Oracle on a survey about user group value and priorities. The results of this survey will be released at the meeting and I look forward to sharing it with you in the coming weeks.

So things are busy around the IOUG and I hope that the group is helping you solve you business challenges.

Vote for your User Group

2009-06-29T07:45:00.001-07:00

The IOUG and Oracle have recently teamed together to survey IOUG members and non-members about the benefits of being a member of a user group.

The survey is open to everyone who is involved in the user community and I encourage everyone to vote before Thursday, July 3 (that’s this week!).

To vote you can press this link: http://www.oraclesurveys.com/se.ashx?s=251137454671BECB and have Oracle hear about the values that a user group provides.

This is an important time in being part of a community and just as important to voice your opinion so that we can build a strong user community with a strong voice within Oracle.

So have your voice heard and vote today! And thanks for taking the time.

How Lucky We Are?

2009-06-26T06:52:00.001-07:00

The tales of economic recovery or economic collapse are spread on a daily basis and we are told about how much we have lost. We sadly heard of the passing of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett yesterday and we think of what we lost. I think we need to look at what we have and appreciate it for what it is and what it was.

I think of the trendsetting music and dancing that the Gloved-One brought to us. I think of the joy that Farrah contributed to my youth. They both leave an amazing legacy. I look back at each and look at how much we gained as a result of them being parts of our lives in some small way.

I also think about how lucky we are and how we need to appreciate what we have and who we are with. My life is one that I look at each week and realize how lucky I am. I work with a great team at Thoughtcorp, where we are building valuable data systems for our clients. I get to work on the IOUG and share my love and knowledge for Oracle. My life is also great and I appreciate it. I have a great family with a couple of pretty cool kids. I also get to play sports and it was then that I realize how lucky we all are and how we need to appreciate it. Last night was my first hockey game back since I hurt my back in April. So it was 2 months and I had no clue what it would be like. I always liked summer hockey; the idea of walking in to an arena in shorts appeals to me. I got the chance to see some of the guys I play with during the winter and all the joy of playing the game came back, the smell of the arena, the ice and the game. The fun of being out with my pals and playing a game I love, I was lucky I could be part of it. Today I get to really complete the week, with golf with some of my close friends. This is the game that I look forward to with the most anticipation. Today I get to compete and see if I can elevate to beat these guys. I need the win, but the chance to play and be with them is where I gain satisfaction. I appreciate what I have, I look at it as a chance to contribute to life. We should look back and say we did it and we were lucky to have the chance.

I am lucky, but my guess is that most of you are as well, and I expect that you are luckier than even you realize. Add it up.

Dealing with Oracle Block Sizes

2009-06-25T10:15:00.001-07:00

When working on a data warehousing project that will be deployed on an Oracle platform, the discussions often turn to the Oracle database block size that should be used.

We all know that in data warehousing environments one needs to move lots of data. This means that we are probably going to increase the size of the blocks in which Oracle will store data. The question then moves on to which one should we choose? Should we use 8KB, 16KB, 32KB or even 64KB. This is not a simple question to answer and if you ever did a search to find information on this decision; you find the information rare and often esoteric. The decision needs to be one that considers how information will be loaded and retrieved from your data warehouse.

So when we decide we look at our data usage. We know that we will be loading millions of rows a data via a bulk loader like DataPump; we know this benefits from larger block sizes as the writes will pack more rows into each database block. We know that we are going to be doing updates during the DW process, so if are going to do any lookups then we need consider that these blocks will contain a larger number of rows, which means our reads will also retrieve more information than we really need. As for the reporting perspective; generally this will require reading larger volumes of data for analysis and aggregation. Again this benefits from larger block size by reducing the number of individual reads, which is good. Now we need to consider multi-block read counts. If we have increased the size of blocks and teh multi-block read count, means that we may move large amounts of data through our I/O channels that may cause bottlenecks, so this is another area that we need to manage and be concerned with.

Ultimately there is no right answer, other than it depends. It depends on the exact nature of your data and your data usage. This must be balanced with the server to optimize performance. The last thing we want to do is introduce new bottlenecks. Generally data warehouses will see block sizes that range from 8KB to 32KB, with multi-block read counts in the 8 to 32 range. Bottom line is test what works for you using a real world load to determine what works best for you.

Random Knowledge

2009-06-23T06:33:00.001-07:00

It seemed interesting to me this morning that people tend to know some of the most random bits of knowledge. The daily dose of Jeopardy proves this as the questions continue to be answered by both those on the shows and by myself to the amazement of my family at times. How to do come to this random memory and how can people take advantage of the gift for knowledge.

So this morning I was listening to Howard Stern’s radio show and he had a game on named the “Homeless Game”, where they ask a homeless person random questions. The person today knew the language of France, the author of Shakespeare, Seinfeld’s first name and many other answers, but missed on the number of letters in the alphabet (I guess you could think 22 is right), who is J-Lo all math questions, and numerous other humorous results. What this really showed me was that we all have a capacity for knowledge and we all know random facts and various skills. We need to harness this knowledge and use it to our advantage.

So we think of technology and the amount and variation in the types of knowledge we all need to have. We need to encourage the value of knowledge and variations in that knowledge. Considering the vast number of technologies that we use on a daily basis, we need to look to our peers and use them to provide complete solutions.

We all have random knowledge, some in math, some in history, some in music and many others in many other subjects. So we take this, enjoy the sharing of knowledge and the surprise that we see when people just know something that we need to know and don’t. Use random knowledge for good.

Communicating Success

2009-06-08T11:17:00.001-07:00

The fact that we work close to people on a daily basis does not necessarily mean that we are communicating on the same levels. We need to consider communications internally and externally with a project team as one of the critical factors to a successful project.

We often work as part of a project team that needs to become the well oiled machine where all are participating actively in all aspects of the project; especially communications. Projects often set up communications plans that include a number of items. These plans will include regular meetings (daily and weekly), project dashboards, project wiki’s and other documentation and methods. These methods of communication work. A project that has clear communication plans and processes are projects that have a communication foundation for doing this well.

The key to any plan that you may enact really require cooperation rather that communication. The idea is that people need to understand the value of this type of information exchange. The team must be willing to share knowledge and information. The members of the team must be ready to share success and to know when to ask for advice. So it important to provide a facility where this information exchange can occur.

Communications are not simply about telling people what is going on and what is going to happen but it should also include a component of knowledge exchange. During any development project the team members must be willing to share information about the better way to do things. The ability to share best practices at a project level can be a critical factor in a project achieving its goals. We need to make sure we are not simply informed by that we are more knowledge about the project and the methods that we should use on each and every project.

Good communications during a project will help you and your project succeed. Just remember talk about things and make things better. The only real problem or issue on any project is one that is unspoken so make sure your project team is open and involved.

The Data Warehouse Team

2009-06-02T09:40:00.001-07:00

Building the right team is a subject that I have discussed here before, but I wanted to talk about how to put the right team together and what skills are needed to build a data warehouse or business intelligence solutions.

So who is on the team?

Project Manager
Data Warehouse Architect
Business Analysts
ETL Lead Developer
BI Lead Developer
QA Analyst
Various other developers and analysts.

So where do we start? The key to me in any successful data warehousing project is having someone who can be the Data Warehouse Architect. This is the person who will drive the solution and ensure that the most efficient solution is implemented. This person must have the ability to understand DW/BI technology and understands how to translate business needs into a solution. This person will directly impact the project’s success so choose carefully and choose experience.

DW and BI projects need standard project management controls, as many projects are complex and have many moving parts. This person should be knowledgeable in the DW and BI arena. Just another project to manage.

The ETL and BI Leads are also critical to the ultimate success of the project. These people will create and establish the approach that will be used to deploy the system. These people are generally the most experienced technology people on the team and can provide leadership to the rest of the development team. These people may also be development leads, but generally we try to focus these roles on ensuring that development is executed as needed.

Finally you need you QA, analysts and developers who will fill the remainder of the team.

Ultimately the team will need to work well and the leads are important people who must ensure that communication occurs between various people so that everyone understands their role in the overall project and can see how it contributes to success.

So build the right team with the right people who want to build solutions that provide organizations with competitive intelligence capabilities.

Surveys

2009-05-28T08:17:00.001-07:00

It seems like we are being overrun by surveys these days. I get calls every evening with people wanting to know what I think. I get emails everyday in my Inbox asking me to complete another survey. I understand to the people who sponsor the surveys the information is important for their planning and future direction, but at what point is too much.

The IOUG will be working on a few surveys this coming summer and I wonder how many people will respond. The information we plan to collect will be important not just to use but everyone involved in the Oracle community. We are planning to repeat our Salary Survey which provides great insight into what Oracle professionals earn. It will be interesting to see how our earning power has changed during these challenging times. In addition we are working with Oracle on providing them and us with a deeper understand that the user group provides to its members and how these members become better customers. This survey is one that many of the worldwide user community will be involved in and I expect that IOUG will once again show that they are the most satisfied Oracle customers and user community members.

So although we may be overwhelmed by the number of surveys, some of them are important. It is important sometimes to have your voice heard and often the manner in which we can easily take part is in a survey. You will always need to filter which surveys provide you with the most value, but if you can come to terms with that you can have your voice heard and make things happen.

Passing the Test!

2009-05-27T14:06:00.001-07:00

The news of the day is that my daughter Baila has passed her driving exam! A new driver is now loose on the world.

Here she is with her temporary G2 Driver’s license!

So now the hope is that she now know enough to keep her out of trouble. As a father I am not looking forward to having the car out with my daughter, but I know I will get use to it. I think it is now time to put a curfew on the car, since Baila is too old to have one anymore.

What does a Test Mean?

2009-05-27T07:02:00.001-07:00

I came to work wondering something. I wondered what the value of tests are. How does the act of taking a test evaluate how well you work or how well you could implement your knowledge? I think about this as someone in my household takes the all important test to become a driver, but we can discuss it at this point. This person understands how to drive and does a good job of basic driving skills. In some ways better than many drivers on the road today. The challenge is learning to deal with the things that are out of the ordinary, like a senior citizen who was slowly crossing the road on the red light and your stuck in the intersection. And the car behind you is honking and your light is now red. I am not sure if they covered that in the driver’s manual. The test provides the basic skill evaluation, but not the value of experience.

Today we put considerable stock in a degree or certification. In the Oracle community we have the Oracle Certification Program. I think it is a great opportunity for people to get validation of the knowledge that they have acquired, much like an exam in school. The missing component is the practical aspect. I think that hands-on real experience is the logical next step. This is where you have your hands deep in your hard drive and you worry about I/O in your sleep. This is the hands-on DBA who does more than back ups and the very occasional recovery. These are the people who use the database. So what does testing mean then?

The IOUG has often discussed whether or not to offer certification to our members. We have always said that the cost versus the benefit did not justify it. Or that Oracle has OCP; so why do we need to add a competing offering. Is OCP perfect? No. Would a certification from the IOUG be meaningful? These are the constant questions we ask in the Board and at this point we will not be offering another Oracle database/middleware/BI certification program.

As I said testing is great. With a test you have proven that you learned how to “correctly” operate and manage a database….of course we are talking OCP….or is that OCD….I digress. How good is a DBA that has never worked a day, but has certification? Look at tests as a start. Look at tests like a yardstick to measure how well you have acquired the information. Then take the information and turn it into knowledge but do not depend on your testing success.

So take your tests today, but look to the future when you can take these building blocks and use them together to solve challenges that will be new to you each day. A great man named Carl Dudley, a professor in the UK, told me that children who go to grade school are taught what to learn and that those in College and University are taught how to learn.

Feedback is Invaluable

2009-05-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

We talk a lot and we create many things but do we really want to hear what people think of what we have done? Sure, we all may not want it but we all need it. Feedback provides us with insight and the information we need to improve. Feedback when given in an honest way can help people to improve and at the end of the day that is what we should all want.

How can we use feedback to improve? At the recent conference I gave a seminar in Master Data Management (MDM). It helped to give attendees an overview of what Master Data Management is and how to use it within an organization. In addition we discussed the process of defining customers, which generally is central to most MDM implementations. I hope that those that attended my session got some value. Well as part of every session at the conference we collect Session Evaluations. These evaluations provide the user group and speakers with insight into their session and how it was received…feedback. So I looked my evaluations over and no major comments, other than 2 attendees and both said basically the same thing; they really felt that they now had a great understanding of MDM. This for me was great satisfaction and meant that I had delivered my message effectively. Another seminar that I provided many years ago was in Las Vegas. It was a ½ day seminar on Oracle Data Warehousing. It tends to be a very technical deep dive into Oracle DW technology. I just so happened to mention to the audience at the beginning that I was tired from the previous evening in Las Vegas, as I got stuck at a very successful blackjack table. I always tend to make sure that my sessions are energetic and interactive. I thought I had done this successfully in Las Vegas, but when I got back my evaluations, they mentioned how tired I seemed. I took this as a lesson to me; never tell your audience any negative stuff about how you feel. People will pick up on this, so regardless of how tired I am I never say it, and people can then start my seminars without any preconceived notions.

The user group is the same and we truly appreciate feedback. I hope that everyone who took part in the event both in-person and virtually provide us with feedback. We hear from many people during the conference and afterwards and we use this to improve our event year after year.

So take the time to speak up. Tell people the truth and help them use it to improve themselves. Feedback is invaluable to making ourselves better.

The Year Continues for Oracle Users

2009-05-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

It is sometimes interesting how you react after a big event. Just like the adrenalin that we build towards that moment that we need to deliver. So whether its a hockey final or a big golf tournament or an annual conference, the feeling afterwards is always the same, it is a let down.

So here we are as we move on from the conclusion of the COLLABORATE09 event. It was great and I think everyone who was there and everyone who attended via our virtual conference offering. And now it is time to move on.

We begin our work of running a user group and helping our users maintain their networks and education all year long. We are working with Oracle on what we should be looking at to help our community. We are working with the community to provide content via webinars and other methods. Of course if you are a member you will be getting access to all of the conference content including podcasts of all sessions. Right now you need to hve attended the conference, but soon all full members will have access, so it will be time to sign up if you are not already a member. I think that it is time to see the value of being a member as just one tip from one of the world experts in the Oracle world will pay for your membership.

So it's time to get the momentum going again. I am looking forward to a great 2009 for the IOUG.

Thanks for COLLABORATE

2009-05-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

Now that life begins to return to normal. I come to look back at the IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09 and consider its successes. The week was one where we had the opportunity to rub elbows with the greats of the Oracle world. It is a rare chance to meet with the users experts and the Oracle experts but last week was when it happened.

Orlando was a wonderful venue to hold this event. The event attracts people from all over the world and I expect from all 50 states and 11 provinces here in North America and if you remember this past winter, coming to a place like Orlando and the sun and heat was a great relief. You just needed to remember to stay hydrated.

The conference requires so many people who put time and effort into its success. I have the opportunity to see the planning and execution of the event and it is a labour of love for everyone. The feeling of triumph at the end of the event comes from those who had the chance to attend and were able to come away with value. When you tells us you learned something or met someone and it is going to help we need we have succeeded in our annual mission of COLLABORATE. The people who work behind the scenes are so numerous but I did want to mention a few people who really make this all happen. Alexis Bauer, Jon Wolfe, Julie Ferry, James Lui, Abbey Nystedt, Peggy King, Ellie Hurley, Carol McGury, someone I must have forgot, the entire IOUG Board, the conference committee, the SIG leaders, the speakers and on and on I can go. It takes close to 200 people who volunteer time and staff that truly keep us on track to put this event together and to them I thank you. I appreciate it from the perspective of another attendee and see the value that such an event provides. This is what it is all about and it shows us the strength and resiliency of the community. And I appreciate it from a leadership perspective. These people are good and the event reflects the quality at every turn. It is a constant pleasure to work with these teams.

I can’t wait until 2010 in Las Vegas for COLLABORATE10.

COLLABORATE 09 Day 3 (Wednesday)

2009-05-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Finally, it’s hump day at the IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09 and what a week it has been already. I have been able to meet with so many great people and so have already had a chance to learn some new methods and techniques for the Oracle technology user community.

Yesterday, I had a chance to sit in on a session all about Essbase. The technology is one that Oracle acquired as part of the Hyperion purchase. The product is a solid one with a long track record. The session really showed how easy it is to use the product, but as with most analytical tools, it requires an understanding of what business problems you want to solve and how to best dimensionally represent it. I also learn a little interesting tidbit that the name Essbase comes from Extended Spreadsheet Database.

I also had a day that truly represents the power of an event like this one. I recently was asked by some of the people at my company, if we could provide some support for Oracle’s Universal Content Management product. This is a great technology and one that has a strong user community. Coincidentally the UCM Special Interest Group of the IOUG had an event last night. It was one of those golden nuggets that provide one of those reasons to attend COLLABORATE. I had the chance to meet with the user leaders in this area and discuss what we were trying to achieve and the best practices around UCM and its various components. This is the real power of the in-person experience.

This morning which has already been quite busy. I had meetings with ODTUG, the Oracle developer user group about how we can work together in the coming months to bring more knowledge to our communities. The meeting was great and really is an illustration of how independent groups can work together to the betterment of the entire user community. In addition I had the chance to meet with Dan Goldstein from Oracle Field Marketing. He is a great person who appreciates how the user communities can complement the information that Oracle provides. As we already know customers who are members of user communities tend to be happier with their Oracle investments and do more with the technology investments that they have made. Another reason people need to get involved. We talked about how the IOUG can help Oracle and how Oracle can help the user community. I expect that you will see more user group presence at a number of Oracle technology events that will be coming in the next few months.

Next up is a meeting with the Fusion Applications folks who will tell us about the upcoming direction for Oracle. It should be great.

COLLABORATE 09 Day 2 (Tuesday)

2009-05-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of COLLABORATE. The conference looks to be a great event and the folks that were able to attend are really enjoying it. We have so many great sessions here this week. I wish I could get to all of them .

I moderated BI Panel yesterday on critical success factors for BI projects. The key factors really looked at making sure that you have business sponsor involved in a project. Generally when IT drives a BI project, the benefits can be limited. As well there was discussion on making queries run fast. So if you can’t return data back fast enough people will not want to use what you build. Another point was made that people need to work incrementally and not try to boil the ocean, but to focus on a project that will provide the best return in the shortest amount of time.

Right now I am in a meeting with some of the Regional User Group leaders. These are the folks that help to get the Oracle technology message to users on a local level. The IOUG helps these groups and works as a place where we can share best practices. There are people here from the Florida, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Up State New York and Tina Weiss from Oracle. It’s great to hear how each group is putting together events to serve their local constituents. These folks are great volunteers and put in so much time in organizing their events, and I feel that everyone should support their local Oracle group. You can’t undervalue of these local meetings for learning and networking. It’s always amazing to me when I attend a local meeting the people that I meet, this interaction is so important.

Party last night at the event was an IOUG “Tuning” party. This was an open mike and karaoke party and was awesome. It’s really amazing to see some of the hidden talents of some of the IOUG attendees. Who would ever think that James (an Oracle DBA) could belt out some classics from Les Miserables. Of course the networking opportunities were amazing and got to meet so many great people.

On with the show......

IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09 (Day 1)

2009-05-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Wow...finally. The latest and greatest Oracle user event has finally started. It is amazing to see all of the folks that are here. There is nothing that truly replaces the face to face interaction that these types of events offer.

The conference kicked off with the general session that was delivered by Charles Phillips. Of course the Presidents of each user group (me for the IOUG, Ray Payne for OAUG and Sue Shaw for Quest) were all up there introducing Charles and thanking everyone for coming. Considering the reduction in business travel these days we appreciate the folks that were able to attend.

Charles Phillips opened the event by discussing numerous items including new release of Beehive (Oracle’s collaboration tool), BI Applications, more and free extended support of Oracle products and a new eBusiness Suite release. And Charles restated Oracle’s support of the user community and its shown by their active partnership at the event. The picture above are all the user group Presidents (courtesy of Peter Smith) doing our introductions.

In addition the IOUG is offering to all those individuals who could not attend in person the chance to be part the event. We are hosting 35 sessions that run throughout the conference to people in-person here and streaming it in an interactive manner to people in the virtual world. This is the first hybrid event and on day one it has been working great.

On to a BI Panel for the BIWA SIG. Later

The New 2009-2010 IOUG Board of Directors

2009-05-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Today may be Saturday, but the user group is busily working and planning our future. The IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09 will begin in earnest tomorrow. Today the IOUG is holding one of the Board meetings that we run each year. The meetings generally cover operational issues and of course plot our strategic direction to meet the coming challenges. With the economy changing on a daily basis so we need to put in place programs that provide members the most benefits possible to help them be their best and make membership an important part of every Oracle technology professional.

One other item that we covered this morning was the election of directors for the IOUG. As part of the election process the user community elects people to be Board members and then the Board internally votes on who will fill which Board positions.

So who is the new IOUG Board of Directors for the coming year:

President Ian Abramson
EVP Andy Flower
VP of Finance Kent Hinckley
Director of Education Jon Wolfe
Director of RUG/SIG Todd Sheetz
Director of Marketing Steve Lemme
Director of Advocacy John Matelski
Director of Content Judi Dolittle
Director of Membership Michelle Malchar
Director of Social Nets Andy Flower

I look forward to seeing where we go in the coming year. The challenges continue and I expect that we at the IOUG are ready to take it on with vigour.

IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09....One week to go!

2009-04-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

In less than a week the IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09 will begin. Many people have been working very hard in the background to make this amazing event come together. When you attend the event you see many of these folks. They are the conference committees, the planning committees, Board members, speakers, and many more people who volunteer their time to the user community.

These people deserve so much credit for what foes on each year. The event will be spectacular as the top speakers and knowledge-meisters come together as part of the most in-depth Oracle program of the year. This is where people come together to learn and the best teachers are part of this annual event.

The IOUG Forum will feature presentations on the topics are of most interest and concern today. It focuses on security, migration, administration, business intelligence, architecture and even some things that as the face of Oracle evolves may be of interest to you. We have recently added a couple of sessions on what Oracle Professionals need to know about MySQL.

The IOUG is there for the community and we hope that as many of you can come and join us next week. The event is second to none and the best possible use of your training dollars. The knowledge is real, the advantages are substantial. See you in a week....let the countdown begin.

The Sun Rises on Oracle: Day 2

2009-04-21T08:10:00.001-07:00

We have all now had some time to step back and look at what the acquisition of Sun by Oracle means to each of us. Everyone seems to have an opinion and I guess your expectations and judgements are based on perspective. Now I have the perspective of an Oracle user. I am someone who has seen many evolutions of the product over the past 20 years. So what makes this a good deal or a bad one and what is important to the Oracle and Sun user communities?

I see that some people think that this could be the worst purchase ever by Oracle, who has bought close to 50 companies in the past 5 years, since it takes them from a database company to a hardware company. I find this an interesting tact; I think of Oracle as an information company, the database and hardware merely enable us to solve business challenges with information. By expanding the mandate of the company, Larry Ellison has enabled Oracle to provide high performance on a platform that is provided and supported by a single organization. Has not IBM been saying that to get the best performance from DB2 you should run it on IBM hardware? This is a formula for success and it was not lost on Oracle. Oracle had already ventured into the hardware space, with the introduction of the Oracle/HP Exadata server, so the genesis of the strategy was already emerging. Sun now allows Oracle full control of their hardware and performance optimization. It provides them with a solid foundation for their middleware strategy and brings the competition into the fold with MySQL.

So you can see I think this ultimately will be a good thing for users. It simplifies things. The concept of a single support organization for the entire technology stack is very advantageous to efficient resolution of issues. Oracle can now provide the soup to nuts type of support. How many times have you had one vendor blaming another for an issue....Oracle is now accountable for the entire stack. For Oracle technology users and the user group, this is an important factor in our efficient use of the technology. If you want to see Oracle’s presentation from yesterday that announced the deal you can find it at: http://www.oracle.com/sun/sun-general-presentation.pdf.

Ultimately the members of the IOUG seem to be excited about the prospects of what this new Oracle company will be and how it will show leadership in the open source community. This is a community that can be quite fickle and Oracle needs to provide the support and guidance to enable people to have the confidence in the product line to spend their technology dollars. Oracle has some serious choices to make in the coming months and the user group looks forward to integrating the Sun community into the Oracle technology community.

Oracle acquires Sun

2009-04-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Mondays seem to bring a lot of things. I met someone this morning dreading the start of the week as she was off to a meeting. I suggested that it was a great chance to get your week off on the right foot. It was an opportunity. Then I arrive at my desk and open my email and what do I find that Oracle has purchased Sun for $7.4 Billion. This is what makes today a great opportunity.

So today starts a new evolution in the Oracle world. For years Larry Ellison has created a company that provides almost all of the technology stack. They provided applications, middleware and database. To a certain extent they also supported hardware by providing Linux support and the launch of the Oracle/HP Database Machine. This now changes a lot of things. Firstly Oracle now like IBM can control their entire technology stack and provide single-vendor solutions from soup to nuts. How will this change the direction of the Exadata is not known, but I expect that in some form it will continue, it looks like we should expect some changes in this area.

Of course one of the biggest prizes from Oracle’s perspective must be the open source components of the company. Oracle now becomes the Java company, they have always been a market leader in the area and now will own the basic building blocks. Consider Ellison’s statement from this morning conference call announcement where he said `` Java is the foundation of Oracle’s Fusion Middleware and the single most important software we have acquired``. In addition there is MySQL, what will happen here? How will Oracle deal with this database which is a rival of its own?

This acquisition raises some interesting scenarios but at the basic level we are look at what Oracle strategy is for buying companies is are the best. Larry stated it today by saying `` One of the reasons Oracle is so successful is that we buy companies that are number one.``. We have seen it with Peoplesoft, BEA among many other where the company was the leader. It will also be great to see how Larry Ellison and Scott McNealy get along now that they have to work together everyday? These pioneers have always seemed to be allies; now that Scott works for Larry it will be fascinating to see how it works out. These guys have lots of energy and are superior thought-leaders, I expect that this combination could be a very powerful and visionary one, or it could upset the balance of power in the executive ranks. Acquisitions can be a tricky thing.

From an IOUG perspective we look forward to welcoming the Sun technology community. As this acquisition progresses the IOUG will keep everyone in the loop. It will be exciting to see how the to this purchase will change things at Oracle.

I love Mondays...you just never know what can happen.

Lots of Anticipation

2009-04-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

With spring in the air I am filled with lots of anticipation about a lot of different things. This is a time of renewal and a time when we can leave the cold and look forward to some heat....at least in Canada.

What am I excited about at this time of year? First off is the upcoming IOUG Forum at COLLLABORATE09, where the best and latest techniques will be presented by the most renowned experts in the world. Lately I have talking to many people about the upcoming event and the great content and networking opportunities that attendees will have. This is our best chance to get together and I hope that at a time of economic stress people see the value that an event like ours provides to ensure that you keep your jobs and help your organizations survive the challenges.

Then I am excited about my current project. We are about to deliver the design for our solution. It is a solution that provides the customer with a great framework to deliver the information and value that they need. In addition the use of Oracle 11g and Oracle Warehouse Builder (OWB) is an exciting technical implementation. In the past 2 years, I have seen OWB going from being nowhere on the local ETL scene to today where Thoughtcorp is involved with 3 different organizations using OWB. The emergence of the product is exciting for companies looking for cost-effective and productive ETL solutions.

Finally, the excitement is for the start of golf season. For those of you who live in climates that don’t allow you to play golf 12 months a year understand this form of anticipation. The grass is turning green and I prepare to hit the links. Over that past few years I have encouraged my passion for the game. I enjoy the game, the company and being out on a great course. My game provides lots of potential that if and when I can harness it can actually look like golf. My golf course has yet to open but it should be soon. This is the truest meaning of anticipation.

Oracle Warehouse Builder - It is a Real Choice

2009-04-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

Recently I have begun work on a project for my company, Thoughtcorp. On this project we are implementing a Campaign Management Tool for a marketing organization. The project is one that is reasonably complex, and one that will ultimately provide new value to the company. It is always exciting to be involved in projects where you get to see technology, most of it Oracle technology at work. My project is using Oracle 11g as its database and as a result of this choice the project is also using Oracle Warehouse Builder (OWB).

OWB has been around Oracle for a long time. This was the ETL tool that Oracle developed to enter into this market. Since that time the product was released in 200o, it has undergone many changes and evolutions. In addition Oracle also purchased a product named Sunopsis, which has since become Oracle Data Integrator (ODI). The goal is to merge much of the functionality of OWB and ODI to provide options in ETL choices while providing robust implementation options. Since OWB was released in Oracle 10g Release 1, its functionality has been available to the Oracle database community. This functionality has been lurking within your database and for my project it is time to use it.

The approach when starting a new project is to determine what tools you will be using to develop your solution. In many situations these choices are already made for you when you first start. The database is often a standard, like Oracle, the reporting tool, the ETL tool and others are often defined. In a scenario like my latest project was one that had a database and reporting infrastructure defined, but no ETL tool had previously been used or purchased. The solution could have taken two distinct paths, we could have gone out and acquired a new ETL tool, as there are many options, but the decision was to leverage the existing investment in Oracle and use OWB to act as our ETL tool. This decision provided the organization with a solid tool that is part of Oracle integration direction of the future and one that can support the requirements of our loading effort.

This decision is one that we now are working with and one that so far has shown to be a solution that can support our project’s and the organization’s ETL needs. It’s great to see Oracle’s wide breadth of technology to help to solve our challenges in a way that truly is cost effective. By leveraging the technology contained within our existing investment, we can help our organizations to be more effective without spending any new monies and in these times that could provide a very compelling reason to adopt this type of technology.

The IOUG Board of Directors Update

2009-04-13T06:54:00.001-07:00

As we start this new week, I look to the future. The future is comes with unknown challenges and choices. We do not know exactly what we will encounter in the coming weeks, months and years. The times are constantly changing and we must all do our best to be prepared.

With the coming of spring we look to a sense of renewal of change for the better. For those of you who read this and live in climates that are green all the time it may be difficult to envision. This is a time when the grass turns from brown to green and colour returns to our world. The IOUG also has it’s annual Spring event we like to call the IOUG Board of Directors election. This election recently finished and I am very excited by the results. Of course with change comes the departure of some of the great IOUG volunteers and thought leaders that I had the chance to work with in my time within the IOUG.

Leaving the IOUG Board this year are Tony Jedlinksi, George Trujillo and Peter Smith. These 3 gentlemen represent how the things you do can help those who are around you as well as yourself. Each of the 3 brought their special talents and knowledge in many areas such as ApEx, Fusion, Database among others. These guys all know their stuff and are great about sharing their knowledge and skills. They are also great volunteers each with special accomplishments that are too many to mention here, Tony work with the web site and the support of SIGs was tremendous, George’s work with SELECT magazine has helped to Sheppard it into the great value it is to all of the IOUG members and finally Peter, who has been the backbone for all of the education that has been offered all year long, but that everyone sees at the IOUG Forum every year. Each gave their time, but being a volunteer also means that they will go on to serve in different ways to continue to build the Oracle technology community. We thank you for your time on the Board.

The IOUG also welcome Jon Wolfe, John Matelski, Todd Sheetz and Judi Dolittle to the 2009 IOUG Board of Directors. Each provides a new insight and energy to the Board and will work well as we begin to renew the user community and motivate us to take part and encourage everyone to share and become part of the Oracle community, in this world you need all the help you can get.

IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09....Less than 4 weeks to go!

2009-04-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here we are with under 4 weeks until the IOUG Forum kicks off at COLLABORATE09 in Orlando. The date of May 3rd will bring together the Oracle technology and applications communities once again for our annual get together and is where you need to be if you are serious about your Oracle career.

Many years ago, Ray Lane, the former President of Oracle, stood up at the annual IOUG user conference and said that people go to Oracle World to learn where the product is heading and how it is supposed to work and that IOUG conference attendees come to learn how the product actually works. This is the partnership between customer and vendor that we all expect and ultimately produce a better product. The history of Oracle and the user community is a long and storied one but one that has always looked out for the best of the customer and the best of the product. We both have the same goal to create a database environment for the benefit of our organizations. COLLABORATE09 will be the user event that will provide solid content on the latest in Oracle technology and how to optimize your Oracle investment from the source. Oracle’s executives and product experts will be at the event telling us all how to make the most of your Oracle assets in these difficult times. These are the people who make things happen at Oracle and can have a real effect on the direction of the product. I encourage you to attend and engage the Oracle folks and tell them what you think, tell them what you need and ask them how they can help. Oracle comes to our event to allow people this chance that is rarely available and so valuable if taken advantage of.

The conference will have sessions covering the technology space, the application space and just about anything else around the Oracle technology stack. The sessions will be provided by people who are involved in using the tools on a daily basis. They will tell you how the product really works and how to get the most from it. The educators that share their knowledge as the best Oracle technologists in the world and you have the chance to meet all of them. By attending you can network with these experts. These people can help you one day and can save you and your organization from serious downtime. The networking in person is something that cannot be replicated on any social network, although maybe Collaborate2027 may be held in Second Life and I can’t wait to see what my Avatar looks like.

The Collaborate conference is going to be another great example of the partnership between Oracle and its user community. There are many reasons to not attend (based on short sighted economic reasons), but consider what you will learn and how you will prepare for the coming changes in technology by being there and being part of the best Oracle professionals in the world. Orlando in May is where you need to be if you are serious about your future.

We all need Balance

2009-04-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

As this painful week comes to a close I am happy to put it behind me and look to feeling better and bringing balance back to my life. Balance is something that we all want but seem to fail at achieving. The balance of work and personal lives, the balance of a team and your own balance are just some of the areas that need balance. I think of things just being right.

So let me look at how balance can affect so many others. This past I feel that the sad state of my back has impacted my hockey teams and in a way has thrown them out of balance. My Monday night team just had a different feeling before the game and as you read we fell to defeat. Last night, my team the Steelblades took to the ice in the last game of the round-robin qualifier for the semi-finals. We had already qualified for the next round with a solid win last week, but a win this week would be a good result, but not needed. My back continues to trouble me and again I could not play and here is where the balance goes off. One of the team’s top scorers Shane Blakemore, is also our backup goalie. He played a solid game and was not the cause of last night’s outcome. The loss of his scoring on the team is critical and this factor was lost, we lost balance. On defence, our top defenseman Albert Jin, couldn’t play, something about work which we will get to later, but he was not there to set the foundation for the defence. As we all know defence wins games and last night the lack of team balance hurt our chances to succeed. The team worked hard, but the balance was not there. We play next week in the semi-finals. I expect my back to come back into balance and everyone to take their place on the team and put us through on our journey to the Championship.

Of course, the real balance is the work and life balance. I have seen it work and see the value that it gives and I also see the balance fail. As I like to say it depends and it truly does on the individual. It is what you want to get from life while still being productive and gaining satisfaction from both aspects of your life. I feel that we must achieve balance or you lose perspective. How often do we see the workaholic lose track of anything away from life, they lose touch with people and often with the world. Of course these people are driven in different ways and gain satisfaction from the job and of course profits. I feel that you really should have some balance. The fact that you work hard and achieve great things should help drive you and encourage you to continue, but you also need the time away from the “job” a place to clear your mind to come up with new ideas. A recharge of your creativity will improve your results on your return...this is balance. Just like leaving a field fallow to improve the long-term viability of the farm, you also need to find the balance of life and work, each will benefit from this balance being in place.

Finally, I wanted to let people know about something I heard this morning on the radio on the way into work. Apparently, with the holiday of Passover starting next week someone out there is selling a Kosher for Passover Tequila. This is just what the world needed. Now the Passover dinners can add a little drinking game to the story of the Exodus.

So I hope you all can find your balance in your lives, it’s worth it.

IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09....Come be part of it!

2009-04-02T08:25:00.001-07:00

Today is the final day to take advantage of the Early Bird registration for the IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09 . This year’s conference will once again provide everyone that attends with the opportunity to learn about the complete Oracle technology stack. So whether you want to learn about the database, middleware, business intelligence, architecture, or the latest and greatest about Oracle, this is the place to be at the beginning of May 2009 (in only a few weeks).

We understand that these are difficult times and that travel budgets have been cut, but it is time for each of you to realize the value of this expenditure. The event is the only event of its type in the world. There is no other conference that covers all aspects and depth of the Oracle product line like COLLABORATE. This is where you learn how to optimize your investment in Oracle technology. Considering the millions that organizations have spent on Oracle, the attendance at the conference is one that is similar to what one spends on a gardener. If you think of Oracle as your backyard and the DBA, developers and architects as its gardeners, then you need to decide if you are going to have a organic garden that uses the latest techniques to encourage growth or are you going old school with chemicals that have a long-term impact. Your data needs to be cared and investing in the latest methods to maintain and encourage growth is why you need to find a way to get to this year’s event.

I hope to see everyone at COLLABORATE09 its going to be the best real education event of the year. I expect to have my sore back, back in good shape and may even start some Yoga again by the conference.

The Network

2009-04-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Monday night hockey has come and gone and I sadly report that my team fell to defeat 2-1. The team fought hard, but our opponent on that night scored more goals, but did not defeat us.
My teammates and friends would have loved to be the Champions, but it was not to be. Being part of this team is special already. The guys are all unique and bring a closeness and honesty (except for Jimmy the Liar) that I have rarely found in many people. These guys love the game of hockey, but as we all get older we also realize that we come on Monday nights to be part of the event that is hockey. We talk about everything and exchange stories (some real and some you can’t believe are real) and have some fun, these are the reasons that really bring us out each week.

Here is a picture of the Remax All Stars.....a great group of friends.

What does my team illustrate to me is that here is a network of people you spend your time with, and they contribute to your success and you to their's. I look at the network of Oracle professionals I know and I feel impressed. I know and feel comfortable asking the best DBAs, Architects, Developers, Trainers and DW people questions that I cannot answer and they will help me. I look to the community to help me be better. I look to my hockey team to make us all winners, I look to my playing partner in golf to make us better and get some more putts and lower scores, I look for my Oracle friends to make us both better at using the Oracle technology. The true value of a network is the value that it brings to your personal and business life. I like to hang out with my hockey buddies and my Oracle buddies, my network is at work all year long.

I also want to remind you to register for the IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09 in Orlando. The early bird value pricing ends this THURSDAY so sign up and make your Oracle network part of your winning team.

Team Win is Everyone's Win

2009-03-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend has been one that has given me a lot of time to think. Why do I have all this time? Turns out that on Friday I played my final game of Friday hockey which I play with a great bunch of friends. The fact that that my team won that day was lost on most of us, at least on me, my friend Chris did seem to have a great memory of a 3 goal game, but as a result of an injury that occurred 10 minutes before the end of the game, my memories are not as sweet. My back has always been a fragile thing and last Friday it failed me again. I could not continue and I had to sadly abandon the game and my team. It is very rare for me to ever leave a game due to injury and this being the final and deciding game of our imaginary Champion’s cup, I wanted to play, but I realized I would be of little help. Luckily my team playing with an extra player held on to win the “Rusty Nails Cup”, for me it was a great team victory but a personal defeat.

Tonight my team the Remax All Stars plays our Championship game. Our chances are very good this week to beat our opponents but we also know that we would need to be at our best. I believe in my team and I believe that we will win. There is a quiet confidence that has been growing all season and people where playing “playoff” quality hockey. We are a truly cohesive unit and best of friends. These are 12 of the best people you will ever meet and I would do anything for as I expect they would do for me. Now enter my bad lower back. It has still not fully recovered from Friday so I will not be playing this evening and this causes me the feeling that I am abandoning the team, and this really bothers me. I have worked hard as the rest of team has to get here, but now I can’t be part of it on the ice. I know I have to do what is best for the team and I will help by ensuring that the beer is cold and that we stay focused during the game. I have been given the responsibility of coaching the herd of cats that is my team, but I will not be able to affect the game’s outcome directly. As the goalie I know and accept the accountability for my team and to be a defensive foundation. I and my defensemen (Marshall, Jimmy, Terry and Kevin) are a solid unit; we know what to expect of each of us and how to best use it to help the team. It will be difficult to watch them play without me, but for me it will be more difficult to talk about game afterwards. The time when we get the cold beer and reminisce about the game and with some luck the victory that was, this is what I will miss most. I will have been an observer; a fan. I will be the outsider looking in.

I know that this is what I will try not to take away from tonight. I am there for my team. We are here in some way based on what I had done up until this unfortunate and untimely injury. What I will do is that I will bring the lock for the dressing room door. I will provide insight to the team as the game progresses and will not dwell on what could have been. Myself and another injured player, Shep, will support the team and provide the motivation when they need it. Although we won’t be contributing directly on the ice, we will do our part. The past few weeks the team feels a sort of destiny to this season, which is one of a reaffirmation of our passion for the game. Good luck boys! One more win and we can complete what we all started.

As with my team; the passion for the user community was reaffirmed to me again on Friday (The Day The Back Went Out). The IOUG, OAUG and Quest Presidents got together to discuss the status of IOUG Forum and the rest of COLLABORATE09, and it was such a cooperative experience. We are a team that is working towards the greater good of the user community. Considering the fact that the economy is beginning a slow recovery we must be ready to pounce upon opportunity to be the best and most innovative people in our chosen Oracle specialty. This event is one that should not be missed; your future may depend on it.

Making the Right Software Choices

2009-03-26T10:01:00.001-07:00

Organizations today must wrestle with the challenge of technology that is changing on an ever increasing pace. The result of this change is often technology that becomes outdated or new offerings provide more value than previous products. So what is an organization to do in this situation?
The scenario is one that organizations are facing. I had a client who needed their data warehouse to attain much higher performance then their existing platform. As a result of this need they purchased and implemented a Netezza data warehouse appliance solution. It was a successful implementation and achieved the information goals that they had identified. This happened 2 years ago and if the same requirement occurred today would their approach have been the same? Today we have options from database vendors that compete directly in this marketplace. So would the organization have chosen the Oracle Database Machine if the option was available then?

This raises the question of what and when to buy. Generally I would recommend that people look at how the industry is developing and future direction of products. When selecting products to support your organization you will consider how well it meets your needs of today but how well will the product develop in the future to changing approaches and architectures. These factors must weigh into your decision and why we generally look to the vendors to define their product roadmaps. These roadmaps will aid your decision to ensure that both your vision and the product can be supported. Think about anyone who purchased the Red Brick database, where are they now?

This is another reason to attend the IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE09 this coming May. You must know what the Oracle product set can deliver today and what you will be able to achieve in the future.

Performance from Start to Finsih

2009-03-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

I have discussed in the past the subjects of teamwork and winning and focus. Last night my Monday hockey team, the Remax All Stars won our semi-final game. We played a solid game from start to finish with the focus on the team and doing everything we can to gain a team victory.

The game was one that required us to drive to the end. It was an overtime win that was needed after a goal by the opposition late in the game. The team could have folded under the pressure of the late 3rd period score, but we did not we gathered ourselves up and with the help of the goalpost during the overtime period we were able to score during the sudden-death frame.

What can we learn from this? I look at it as a way that I work every day. I am very results oriented. I like to work to a goal and achieve it as well and as efficiently as possible. I draw on my experience to help drive the right solution at the right time, while considering the big picture. I find that we often focus on what happens at the end of a project. The hours of development, the hours of testing and the hours of fixing and changing things is often the focus of a project, but I feel that we need to put those hours in at the start to ensure that a project works to a solid standard and builds for the future. If we better understand what the business wants and more importantly what they need we can develop better solutions. Technology provides us with the ability to solve many business issues, but we also have to be proactive to surround people with an ecosystem that allows them to explore new directions in information and ultimately the organization.

You need to understand where you want to get to and how to get there. I look at learning from my experiences and those of my network of colleagues to solve and exceed expectations. The IOUG is my conduit to this network and I encourage you to be part of this and learn from experience by attending COLLABORATE09 in Orlando.

Ultimately the team, the entire team needs to drive from start to finish of a project. Just like my hockey team’s win last night, we could not have done it if we didn’t come together as a team.

IOUG Elects New Board Members

2009-03-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

Every year the IOUG elects people to the Board of Directors and right now our election is underway. If you are a member of the IOUG you can cast your Ballot now for the slate of great people who have been nominated for consideration. So who are these people who are coming to the Board? These are all individuals who have a long and deep commitment to the success of the user community.

The first person on this year's slate is Judi Doolittle, Judi is the current EVP of the IOUG and bring a strong technical and managerial leadership to the group. She continues to provide the group with leadership from an Oracle customer perspective. New to the Board is will be John Matelski, Todd Sheetz and Jon Wolfe. Many of you will have already have met some or all of the three new candidates. They have been long time and active volunteers in the IOUG and great Oracle community. John Matelski comes to us after a recent stint of leading the International Oracle User Council (IOUC) and works as the CIO for Gwinnett County in Georgia. He will provide the IOUG membership with strong strategic leadership and will aid us in working with Oracle to represent the user community. Todd Sheetz is a hands-on Oracle technologist; he has recently been leading the IOUG Best Practices SIG and has been an important part of the growth and expansion of the community. Finally is Jon Wolfe. Jon has been the technical session chair for the past few COLLABORATE conferences, under his guidance he has worked with the Conference Committee to provide education that improves each and every year. Education and networking are the core values of the user community and Jon is an integral part of these offerings.

These are great people who have seen the value to be involved in the user community. User group members are statistically more knowledgeable, happier and richer than non-members. In these times of uncertainty, it’s time to get involved just like Judi, John, Todd and Jon.

Working at Teamwork

2009-03-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

On a fine Friday in Toronto, I wanted to discuss teamwork. Last night; my team The Steel Blades, won its first playoff game. The score was 2-1 but it was a game that exhibited a great need for teamwork to ultimately win. It is interesting for me to think that at the one moment of the game where we stopped playing like a team the other team was able to score on a breakaway, our teamwork had broken down. We were able to re-group and focus on the greater goal of the win rather than personal ambitions.
I work in teams all the time and I find it my most rewarding work and personal experiences. I think that being part of teams is critical for our success. I think of all the great teams I get to work with and each has its own dynamic and provide different value to me.

The IOUG is one of those great teams. We work with a great group of staff and volunteers. Each contributes a different component to the success of the user community. The volunteer Board provide strategic direction, as Mark Thorsby who advises the IOUG says, we are the front wheel of the bicycle and must steer the bike, the back wheel provides the power. This power for the IOUG comes from Carol McGury who provides great support and is a great advocate of the community. Carol along with the staff provides the IOUG with a great and powerful back wheel and are part of the greater IOUG team.

My company Thoughtcorp is another example of team work. We are a consulting company, but we work in a very cooperative way. We support each other and provide expertise in situations that complement each other’s skills. We work together on projects as well as on the growth of the company. They say there is no “I” in team, but I say that a team is a bunch of “I” each with their own skill which must be leveraged.

And finally how the IOUG and Oracle work together is another team example. We provide each other support to help each achieve our goals. I know that my discussions with Mark Townsend and Willie Hardie, who both a very senior and very smart people at Oracle in server technology, have worked with the IOUG to help to get out the word on COLLABORATE09 and the user community, to the greater customer base. So the next time you call support and they mention that a user group may provide you some benefits to learn more about Oracle, you will know that the IOUG and the Oracle teams worked together to evangelise the user community.

A team break down can happen quickly so you always need to be on your toes. You need to encourage communication and dialogue within the team. When people stop talking they tend to stop working as part of the team. Being part of a team is hard work, but is also the best way to ensure your success.

Ian's IOUG Wordles

2009-03-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

I found this great website today. It is called Wordle and it generates these word images based on words in this blog. I think it represents the IOUG and how I feel about it.

I hope you find it interesting, I know I did.
Ian

More Acquisitions...I'm Just Not Sure Why

2009-03-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

The news yesterday was that there seems to be a $6.5 billion offer on the table for Sun to be bought by IBM. When I first heard this news yesterday I wondered what the motivation was for making the acquisition and how it would fit into the “new” IBM. Sun of course is on the front-line of open-source, they bring us java, mySQL and lots of servers and this is makes them a target. I understand that the reduction in their market value also make them a target but I need to understand why one would persue this type of acquisition.

I have been part of a few acquisitions in my time. Some go well and others end in failure. Generally the success of any acquisition is in the way that the you incorporate the companies values into your own. Realizing the reasons you bought someone in the first place. I look at Oracle and how it has acquired some many companies that complemented their own. They always tried to by best of breed products and have integrated their technologies very successfully into their own. Consider the acquisition of companies like Hyperion, BEA, Peoplesoft, Stellent, Sunopsis among others, that have truly changed the products that Oracle provides. And the IOUG has helped these communities become integrated into the greater Oracle technology communities.

So how does the IBM and Sun combination work out? Consolidation is very in these days, so this would be some sort of consolidation. We can be sure that they would love to increase the bottom-line and the Sun server business is significant and has a solid reputation. The acquisition of mySQL by Sun was questioned at the time of how a company with revenues at the time of $70 million can be worth $1 billion. It has provided Sun with a great low-end database and has continued its growth, so this is a big pick up fo IBM. As for applications; sure Sun has developed a few open source applications but I have yet to see it take hold. It does reduce IBM’s competitors and solidifies them in the hardware industry as well as bringing them up to the leader level in open source, and all for only $6.5 billion. It will be interesting to see where this goes and I wonder what IBM will look like in 6 months from now. I'm just not sure that I truly see the benefits that IBM will garner from this relationship.

We can Always Learn Something New

2009-03-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have recently been putting together a course of data warehousing fundamentals for a Thoughtcorp customer. I always love to put training courses together and the training we are doing for our customer will prepare them to take on the system once it has been released. It not only helps customers learn but it gives value back to the customer in order to optimize the use of the money that they invested in this information system. The course provides them with best practices and direction as well as terminology and how to review and design data warehouses and data marts. This is one group of people that will be ready to welcome and embrace the technology that will optimize interactions with their current and prospective customers.

So why do I bring this up. It is generally because most people think they know more than they really do and those are the cases when your project can get derailed. I once worked at a government agency here in Toronto, we worked for a Project Authority who did not understand data warehousing but insisted that they did; these are the most dangerous users. I provided a robust design that had great dimensional strength, but the suggestion from this person was to provide the same table as the users use today. Of course this was short-sighted but it was the direction that we were mandated. This person was also the same one who asked right afterwards the difference between a fact and dimension. So you can see that education even to those who are experienced can provided significant value to projects as well individuals. The more you know the more you can do. This is the basis of what we do in the user community. We provide experienced based training providing best practices and cost savings approaches. That is why you need to be part of COLLABORATE09.

As I often say; there are two kinds of people; winners and losers. Which one do you want to be?

Security Risks and Protecting Your Data

2009-03-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

This morning I read about a SQL Injection that may be impacting up to 450,000 people each day. A SQL Injection is a “viral” program that runs and could exploit vulnerabilities in SQL to access data that may not be for public consumption. Of course this should be a serious concern for everyone who runs applications on the Internet and for all of us who use it. It brings up the question of security and how secure is your data.

We often focus our security on perimeter defences but this is not always enough. We need to also secure our data within our database. As you can see by the news of today that hackers have found a new way to into your data and they are exploiting database access via the middleware. This is why the IOUG Forum at Collaborate is hosting a SANS institute session on security. The session covers these security topics and provides guidance on how best to implement security and help you in understanding why you need to take better care of your data. This is also another reason for you to keep your software up to date and install security patches as required.
I am not sure that a SQL Injection hurts or not, but I know that the results of a security breach can last for a significant amount of time after it occurs.

The Economy...Time to Recover

2009-03-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, who was on 60 Minutes and said that the economy was on the road to recovery and it was possible that we may see the results of this in the second half of 2009. He also warns us that we are “not out of the woods”. He mentions that the Fed is working on averting the risk of anything more serious. The issue of course is that there is a need to rebuild the financial industry and this could be difficult. Consider that Bernanke has a PhD. in Economics from MIT and has specialization in the Great Depression, seems like he might be the right choice for our times. His key strategies are to not repeat the major fiscal failures of that time, such as the tightening of the money supply as well as the failure of the banking system and banks. If you consider the reaction to this crisis; it is completely opposed to that approach, they have reduced interest rates to all time lows and saved banks (although some would question how it has occurred). This approach is learning upon the lessons of the past.

The user community is similar in your Oracle economy. The IOUG user group and the COLLABORATE09 event are the places to spend your limited funds to get the greatest return on investment. From other experienced Oracle technology professionals you get the chance to learn from the past. You are generally not the first person to experience challenges with your Oracle investments, learning from what others have done can save you time, money and productivity. And at a time like this it is more important than ever to reach for those goals.

Get ready for the economic turn around and make sure you have the skills you will need in the coming years.....it’s going to be a challenge.

Social Highlights

2009-03-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

This morning I received a note from a Facebook friend. It was about golf clubs and food, which are two of my favourite topics. What also struck me was how people use social networking sites and what they say. This is made more interesting that I am posting this thought via a social site as well, which I believe might put us in a potential infinite loop.

I find what people put into their Facebook status very interesting. Some people put down things about where they are while other put down something profound. Not sure how people get these statements, but I like them.

Have you noticed that Facebook changed the format of the page again? Not sure I like the changes but we could start a campaign to get them to change again...already done.
So what are my friends saying? Here are some samples:

John wonders why when all is said and done, more is said than done.
Debra is going for 3rd hotel this week – Solihull
John - Hey! Heard you have cheese for Thursday! Cheese is goooood.
Ari said hi to Al Roker - 2nd time this week already.
Dan - Me: "What did you learn today?" My 5yo daughter: "Vultures pee on themselves to cool off." Love public school :)
Susan - joined Twitter. Not sure I need to update my status as no one is watching. But I'm watching John Mayer and I feel like I'm part of his life! :O
Peter is just sending out the email to the Ottawa Oracle User Group about our meeting on March 25th. Also getting a plug in for the COLLABORATE09 conference.

I’m not sure about what it all means and still working on when smeone said "They were embracing their inner Galt". I do know that I love how each person has personalized their use of Facebook to their own personality. It provides us an insight into people and an insight into the way they think and see the world. I am looking to see how we as a user community can answer the call and make this a valuable platform for ideas and exchanges of thoughts.

Social networking is emerging and we are trying to get the community involved. The IOUG is actively involved in utilizing the social networking scene to mobilize the Oracle technology population to attend the great IOUG Forum this May 3-7 in Orlando it is a great event.

Getting the Word Out

2009-03-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

Today I hope to provide you with another view from the inside of the IOUG. As part of my job of being the IOUG President is to represent the user community in the Press. This means discussing numerous topics and how they impact the users of Oracle technology. I get to do a few of these each month and with the approach of the IOUG Forum at COLLABORATE 09 event, the pace increases.

Recently I have been talking about security, business intelligence, the economic downturn and its impact and the upcoming event. Generally in these interviews we have talked about the current risk that organizations are exposed to due to a lack of database and application security. We have talked about how BI is one if the technologies that organization’s can use to lower costs by identifying issues before they become problems and identify trends in advance of the competition. A recent IDC report showed that BI spending in the next year would be one of the few that will see an increase. I have discussed how people in user groups a generally more skilled and more effective employees and ultimately at a time of economic turmoil you need to be the best you can be, in order to stay in front of the competitors for your job. Finally we discuss the upcoming Collaborate event. We talk about the benefits and the value that attendees will get from being part of the conference. This is where you need to be to learn from the best and be the best Oracle technology professional you can be.

Generally, the press is looking for a new angle, so that they can tell a new and better story. I have to be agile and ensure that we keep to the message to represent the community in a meaningful way while continuing to promote the group to continue it’s growth.
If you get the chance to talk to the press some day, I would encourage you to take the opportunity. The key is talk about what you know, and don’t guess. You either know or you don’t, the press can turn a guess into something else, so keep to what you know.

A Look Inside the IOUG

2009-03-11T06:12:00.001-07:00

When I started this blog, I wanted to expose people to my thoughts on Oracle, data warehousing, and the user community. I also wanted to provide people an inside view on some of the activities that go on as we run the IOUG. So today that will be the focus, the running of the user group.

Last night we had our monthly IOUG Board conference call. On the calls we deal with strategic direction, operational matters and then general user community issues. We discuss SIGs and RUGs, Select magazine, the IOUG website, the Collaborate conference among other topics. So last night was much like any of the calls. We had people from all over the continent on the call. Attendance last night was almost complete, as we approach COLLABORATE 09 we have a lot to get done.

The call starts with a review of the recommendation from the IOUG Election Committee. The committee was mandated based on direction from the Board to provide us with a recommendation of the people they feel will best represent the membership as well as providing strategic direction. The candidates this year were awesome. Each of them would have been a great Board member. I will tell you later this week who they are, but I figure I should tell each “in person” before the blogasphere. So stay tuned.

We then discussed the Volunteer of the Year Award or the Chris Wooldridge Award. This goes to an outstanding volunteer who exhibits the values of the IOUG, is a VERY active volunteer, and some who has worked tirelessly over the past years. Again we had a number of great nominees that came in from the various Board members and of course, I can’t tell you who won. You will to come to the COLLABORATE 09 event and find out.

Finally we discussed the conference. The conference is our biggest activity of the year and drives much of the other offerings that we provide each year. Our focus was on getting the word out to everyone we know. I feel that the value of what you get the COLLABORATE 09 event will provide you with the knowledge to keep ahead of your peers and keep your job as you are asked to take on more work and you need to do it more efficiently. Now is the time to KNOW best practices, not just read about them. This is what I expect people will need to keep their jobs in the evermore competitive marketplace. This is what an in-person event like ours provides and we will work to get this message out. We also had a discussion around coffee at the conference, and let me tell you coffee is surprising not a small cost when you are serving 7,000 people. We discussing the hotels and I would encourage all members to stay at one of the conference hotels. It provides you with better access to the conference as well you helping the IOUG.

So another monthly call was done. We have many more items that we are working on the coming month, including more SIG news and the ever nearing COLLABORATE 09. I hope this little window into what we do as a Board helps you understand how the IOUG works on a daily basis.